Unraveling the Strands of Fate
by Midnight Phantasma
Summary: "It took me a long time to realize that in the process, I was also losing myself. Everything that I knew about myself was becoming faded fragments and pieces of what I once knew it to be. My name; my family; my life; it was becoming lost to me. And in a twisted sense, I had become Allen Walker by fixating myself upon him." [SI-OC]
1. Bitter Youth

**A/N:** So I know I said after **Awakening** that I wasn't going to write another SI-OC, but then I got to talking with **Sakura Hyuga** yesterday, and ideas were thrown back and forth, and suddenly, I wrote this chunk of a chapter! And just to let everyone know ahead of time, the SI-OC wakes up as Allen, but she _is_ female, and not just mentally, but physically as well, just to keep things less awkward. Though she will be cross-dressing for most of the beginning. Other then that, please enjoy and let me know whether its worth continuing or not!(:

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 **Disclaimer** **:** Nope!(;

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Chapter 1

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 **Time Frame —** **Night of December 25th, 1883**

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 **—1st Person POV—**

It has been two years now, but I can still recall my first memory of this world with ringing clarity. The all-encompassing darkness of death had been breached once I had opened my eyes. Blankets had swathe my miniature form and I had been scared. I couldn't move. I was stuck and the only thing in sight to bring me comfort was the brilliant full moon in the sky, drowning out everything else within my view. But it could not keep the chill at bay, and desperate, I'd allowed my wails to echo throughout the night, unable to form coherent words and pleas. And that was how the priest found me; bundled in a basket, a thin layer of snow blanketing me.

They had taken me in and spoken their words of comfort, soothing me to sleep and warming me up beside the roaring fireplace. Despite my fear and confusion and pain, I had consented to their reassuring warmth and love. But it had not lasted. Come the next morning, they had discovered my wretched and cursed limb. It took me almost a year to take a good look at it myself, actually. It was quite hideous and cringe-worthy, but that wasn't the reason why my heart had practically come to a stop and I had frozen in all-consuming horror as the realization slowly set in. It wasn't the reason why even now, I sometimes cried at night as my memories slowly dredged up the horrors to come. All that hadn't been caused by the ugliness of my arm; it had been caused by the brilliant, green crystal imbedded atop my hand.

God's Crystal.

I was an Exorcist.

I was Allen Walker.

Of course, the realization hadn't been instantaneous. I had battled with myself for months, wondering if I was simply going crazy. But the reality set in day by day as I was treated harshly. I was a monstrosity. No one could love me—or so my caretakers said. It hurt and the pain couldn't have been more real. Oddly enough, when I was finally confronted with my reflection, I had somehow expected pale, white locks and an angry red scar. But of course, my face was that of a baby, chubby and yet to be marked by the devil, with my hair a dark, rusty red. But the round, silver eyes had been all too familiar…

I was now two, and locked within a small, spare closet that was considered to be my room. They liked to keep me away from the other children. But really, it still felt like I was living a dream; a horrific and hellish nightmare that I was unable to escape from. Was this a punishment? Had I done an unforgivable wrong in my previous life? I wondered this to myself every night. And tonight was no different; I lay, curled in my ratty blankets, in the pitch black, my tummy empty and craving for food. Not even on Christmas night had they been generous enough to feed me dinner. Not when the other children had clamored for more and more.

I clenched my fists, trying to quell down the righteous anger within me. Bitterness and hate and anger; they were the only emotions I had come to know in this life. Whatever feelings of love and joy I had treasured in my previous life were starting to slowly dwindle away, rotting within the crevices of my mind as the resentment took over. And for the past year, the only thing I'd been able to focus upon was the life of Allen Walker; I'd taken his story, memorizing it and studying it and dreading it all. It took me a long time to realize that in the process, I was also losing myself. Everything that I knew about myself was becoming faded fragments and pieces of what I once knew it to be. My name; my family; my life; it was becoming lost to me.

And in a twisted sense, I had become Allen Walker by fixating myself upon him.

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 **Time Frame — Night of July 3rd, 1887**

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Somehow, I was still girl (both mentally and physically). Funny how things worked, wasn't it? But of course, when Adington's Working Boy's Home opened up at my mere age of five, I had quickly been dressed in boy attire and shuffled along with the rest of the male orphans. The Home had then sent a complaint, claiming that I was much too young to be accepted, but the Church had played dumb, and when a representative was sent over, they wouldn't hear of it. Of course, I was all too happy to leave that wretched church. Even if all the other boys treated me like a servant around here. As long as I could keep my left arm wrapped up and hidden away, I knew I could survive.

At this point, being Allen Walker had become the least of my problems (even if that _was_ the name I'd given the warden of the Home when asked). It was something I'd tried hard to forget, but it was difficult when I awoke every morning and was forced to practice using my left hand. It had always been stiff and tough to move, but if I didn't do my practiced stretches, I would be unable to get my chores done. In the grand scheme of things, a single punishment didn't appear to be much, but I was living day by day, pushing myself to complete every grueling task demanded of me so that I could actually earn my dinner (something I'd been unable to do at the church orphanage).

It was a hard, strenuous lifestyle, but a small part of me had become confident; confident in the fact that maybe I could outrun this war.

But that confidence had been shaken.

Nothing truly awful had happened. But when I heard the excited murmurs of the other boys, I had momentarily gone into a panic, my thoughts going haywire as memories of this hellish story I was living in were unearth.

The circus was in town.

Truly laughable, wasn't it? Maybe I'd finally lost it! But if paranoia was going to help me survive, then I wouldn't begrudge it. Still, it was hard to forget that part of the story; where Allen was forced to deal with bastards like Cosimo. And thinking of that practically dragged the rest of the storyline to the forefront of my mind. I still hadn't decided what I would do if I was forced into all of this; what side I would take; who I would fight for—I may have been given the same role as Allen Walker, but by no means did I have the same goals as him.

There was also one thought that had been niggling at the back of my head…

Neah Walker.

I was conflicted. To make contact with him or to _not_ make contact with him; that _was_ the question.

… But either way, he would be my death.

I almost snorted, and I had to clamp my hand atop my mouth to muffle the noise. No need to wake up any of the bratty kids sleeping around me. With a soft sigh, I curled further into my cot, tugging my blankets higher, and wondering what decision I should make. Awakening the Noah would for sure drag me into this war sooner rather than later, but it was inevitable. I would be unable to stop his coming, and part of me just wanted to get it over with. Death with a little dignity. (Not something I'd had the pleasure of experiencing.)

With a small huff, I made a rash decision and clenched my eyes close. I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing. I simply imagined Allen's dreamscape in my head. And slowly, but surely, I could feel myself drifting to sleep… So much for that idea…

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 _"It… worked?" I murmured, eyes blinking in astonishment at my surroundings. I found myself kneeling beside a lake; no reflection lay upon it; it was simply an inky and impenetrable black. The sky was a gorgeous navy blue dusted with stars, and an enormous crescent moon hung in its midst. "So it's all really true…" I choked on my own voice, trying to accept the reality set before me. I then took a shaky breath and cautiously rose to my feet, warily turning and following the brick path, colorless trees stripped bare of their leaves crowding on either side. It felt as if I were stumbling along in a daze, but I pushed myself to continue forward._

 _"Neah…?" I called cautiously, once I spotted the throne he was chained to, my voice tinged with fear and disbelief. But I received no response. I stepped closer, and once I stood before him, I realized why: he was asleep. I bit my lip, feeling indecisive and a little frightened. This was happening so fast; only moments ago had I contemplated whether I was crazy or not, but now—_ now _I was standing before a real life Noah! For the second time that night, I chose upon another stupid decision…_

 _I cautiously reached my hand up to him, and shook him by the arm. I was shaking slightly, and I could feel my mouth drying with anticipation as he roused from his slumber, brilliant gold eyes fluttering open._

 _"I'm… alive?" he murmured sluggishly, frowning in confusion as any and all movement was prevented by the rattling chains. I stumbled back nervously, unfortunately drawing his attention. Neah paused, staring at me inquisitively. "… Who are you? Where am I?"_

 _I gaped. "Y-you don't know?" Had this not been his plan all along? To awaken as soon as possible and overtake the body of Allen?_

 _"No, I—" he paused, appearing frustrated as he tugged at the chains constricting his every movement. "Why have you tied me up?"_

 _I stumbled back further, tempted to run away, but nonetheless replied in a shaky voice, "I-I didn't do it… but it's the only thing holding you back from killing me."_

 _He stared at me, incredulous, and maybe it was just my imagination, but I thought I saw a little bit of guilt peeking through. Neah attempted to relax as he responded quietly, "I am not so horrible I would resort to killing children…"_

 _"But I'm_ not _a child," I answered with a small crease to my brow, wondering why—that's right. I was still sometimes guilty of forgetting that I resided in the body of a five-year-old girl. The thought was so disconcerting, that I attempted to not dwell on it often._

 _"Then what_ are _you?" Neah demanded, now observing me suspiciously, fists clenching upon the armrests of the throne._

 _I took another step back, and then paused. Fidgeting with the hem of my shirt, I finally retorted a bit anxiously, "I'm… I'm Allen…" I cautiously glanced up at him, and the moment my moonlit eyes made contact with his, he gasped sharply. He gazed at me intently for what felt like an eternity._

 _"B-but how…? How is it possible?" Neah gazed at me anxiously, wide, amber eyes demanding answers of me. But I shook my head mutely in response, just as confused. Once upon a time, I'd loved reading D. Gray-Man, but unfortunately, I'd never gotten a chance to reach the ending. I didn't have all the answers. "Just answer me this," Neah pleaded, "How long has it been?"'_

 _I parted my lips, and then paused, swiftly doing the math in my head; Cross had told Allen 35 years, but I was currently five, so… "I believe it's been 25 years," I replied quietly, watching for his reaction with unease._

 _"S-so long…?" he stammered dazedly. He then sent me a sharp glance. "What's happened since then?! Have the Noah already reincarnated? Is Mana still alive? Where's Cross? Has another war broken out already?! Shit! 25 years! Allen, tell me what the hell is going on!"_

 _I think it was in that moment when my fear was replaced with anger. Beneath his penetrating gaze, I straightened up and glared at him full force. "Do you think_ I _know any better?! I'm_ five _! Who tells any of this to a five-year-old?! Especially one they got rid of and tossed into an orphanage?!"_

 _"T-they what?!" Neah stammered, appearing flabbergasted. He then slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Can you… can you at least tell me what you know?"_

 _I gazed at him with scrutiny, wondering how he would react if I were really to tell him_ everything _I knew. With a small huff, I attempted to relax (even though his presence still made me slightly nervous, now that my anger was no longer clouding my thoughts). "I… I don't really know much of anything of what's happened in that time. Most of those memories were erased. You're lucky I even remembered you were locked up here," I tossed him a pointed glare, and he wilted slightly, already appearing somber because of my words. "I don't know how many of the Noah have reincarnated, but it hasn't been enough to start up the war again. And yes, Mana still lives." Here, he appeared to be a mixture of miserable relief. "Who knows what Cross is doing, but he's certainly still alive. And the Order is just doing the usual; collecting Innocence and fighting against Akuma."_

 _Neah scoffed, a bitter smile now in place. "It seems they still haven't realized that what they're doing isn't enough. If they want to have any sort of advantage, they need to go after the source."_

 _I tilted my head in thought, and wondered out loud, "The Akuma Egg Plant?"_

 _He glanced at me, seeming slightly surprised. "How much_ do _you remember?"_

 _"Um, not much," I shrugged, scuffing my foot against the ground. "Just words and snippets. Nothing much to get excited over…"_

 _"You know," Neah remarked, "You still haven't explained why you were reverted back to a child, or where we are…"_

 _I sighed and lifted my shoulders in a small shrug. "I don't know. Maybe it was to better hide from the Earl? Maybe it was to give me a longer lifespan? I really don't know. What I do know is, is that your memories have been implanted within me. We are currently residing within my mindscape. Once you're able to escape those chains, you'll slowly kill away any semblance of my being that dwells here. And once I'm dead, you can easily make use of my body."_

 _Neah gaped at me, sunlit eyes wide with shock. He then wilted in front of me. "This was Cross' doing, wasn't it? But… why did you go along with it, Allen?"_

Yes, Allen, why _did_ you go along with it? _I wondered to myself. But I simply smiled. "I don't know why you keep on asking me these things like you expect me to instantly remember. I don't know. But if I had to guess… You're the only one who has a chance against the Millenium Earl. After all, he is your brother."_

 _With a small jolt, I realized the world around me was crumbling away. Was I finally waking up?_

 _"Wait! Allen!" Neah called._

 _I shrugged helplessly, and waved at him as I disappeared from his sight._

* * *

A small groan escaped my lips as I sluggishly flickered my eyes open, wincing from the bright rays of sunlight streaming through the windows. It took me a moment to gain my bearings, and when I did, it wasn't to a situation I had expected myself to be in. Lifting my head slightly, I frantically roved my eyes over the crowd of whispering boys surrounding my cot. They were already a good distance away, but when they noticed my rousing, they instantly backed up, their murmurs becoming all the more frantic as they shot me frightened glances.

Warily, I sat up on my cot, my own eyes widening in horror as I took note of the unraveled cloth no longer concealing my hideous left arm. "Oh no!" Quickly as possible, I began to frantically wrap the ratty fabric back around my arm. But it was too late!

"What is going on around here?!" the warden demanded as he stormed into our dormitory. In response, every single boy pointed accusingly in my direction, and the teenage boy that had been accompanying the warden, declared, "That's the boy, sir! He's the one with the demon arm! It's no wonder the church did everything in their power to rid themselves of him!"

"Shut your mouth boy," the warden growled when it appeared that the mouthy boy wasn't about to pause any time soon. He stomped over and towered above my cot, and I cringed as he demanded, spittle flying everywhere, "Well, let's see it brat!"

Defeated and shamefaced, I held out my trembling left arm for him to see, the wrapping loose and only partially covering it.

The warden recoiled back. "By God! What the hell is wrong with your arm, boy?!" he shouted, dragging me out of the cot by the scruff of my tunic, as he began to quickly haul me out of the dormitory. The other boys were swift to make way for us, and before I knew it, the warden was making his way with me off the grounds.

"Oi! Cosimo! I did find you a brat, after all! Maybe he can join one of your freak shows!"

I grew colder with each word spat out by the warden, as he hurried to catch up with a large, nasty looking man.

"What?! This squirt?!" Cosimo barked once he spun around to take a look at me, seemingly irritated. "Fine. Whatever." He dug into his trench coat and slapped a wad of bills into the warden's awaiting hands.

I shook and trembled, terrified out of my mind, but clumsily, I wrapped the rest of the bandages along my arm, before yanking down my sleeve and digging up a pair of frayed gloves out of my pocket and jerking them on. By the time I finished, the warden had lumbered off, and I was left alone with Cosimo.

He sneered down at me and began to drag me away by the arm. "Hurry along, dumbass. I paid good money for you, and if you don't work up to my standards, I'll beat you so hard there won't be a body left to find. Got that?"

"Y-yes," I stammered, tripping and stumbling as I tried to keep up with his long strides. Internally, I was crying with horror, wishing I could simply yank myself out of his vice grip and run away. But I knew I couldn't, and even if I somehow managed it, I probably wouldn't survive for long in this town before the church somehow got the word out about my arm.

Cosimo chuckled. "I hope you're ready to live the circus life!"

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 **Time Frame — Afternoon of November 10th, 1887**

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"Blasted Cosimo!" I growled under my breath. "Someone needs to teach that bloody arse a lesson! Who on earth thinks it's a smart idea to mess around this blasted river in the middle of winter?!" The rest of my grumbles continued to go unheard, but even something as simple as complaining to myself made me feel better. I'd been traveling with this wretched circus for the past four months now, and it had been the worst experience of my life (which certainly said a _lot_ )! I was Cosimo's pack mule, slave, and server all wrapped in one. The only thing that I could even claim as good fortune was the fact that I had managed to keep my arm hidden for the most part, effectively keeping me out of the Freak Show.

"Argf!"

I startled and almost plummeted straight into the depths of the rushing river. Fortunately, I caught myself in time, and turned to witness a madly barking dog galloping in my direction, its ears comically flopping everywhere. It skidded to an abrupt halt beside me and affectionately dug its head into my side.

"Hello, Allen," I chuckled softly, my mood improving as I rubbed his head. "Sorry buddy, I don't have any snacks for you at the moment."

I was a bit thankful that I took on the name Red once I joined the circus, considering Mana and his dog had just joined us over a week ago. I didn't know what the Earl's plan was, but if taking on a different name meant he was less suspicious of me, I wouldn't argue. Though really, it made me wonder why the Earl ever did this in the first place; taking and caring for an orphan like Allen before abruptly scarring him for life. Had that been all part of his grand play? He was mad enough; I wouldn't put it past him.

But there was also another reason why I hadn't yet attempted to escape from the circus (other than Cosimo's wrath). Despite my apprehension towards meeting Mana, he brought along with him another element to the story: Cross. If my memory served me correctly, I belief Cross had kept tabs on Mana, and where Mana was, Cross was eventually bound to be there. Despite the eccentricities of the redheaded General, I felt like he was the safest option to go to when confronted between the Noah Clan and the Black Order.

"Allen!"

I almost responded reflexively, but then recalled that Red was my current name. I sighed, realizing that my plan of avoiding Mana hadn't lasted; though I should've accepted that once I befriended his dog. Or, that is to say, his dog befriended me with all the scraps I kept feeding him. But it was difficult not to! This dog was the most affectionate being I had met in this entirely miserable existence, and I hadn't realized how much I'd craved affection until this dog had offered it to me. Man's best friend, indeed.

"Hello!" the clown appeared and sat on my other side, and greeted me with a chipper smile. "You must be the rascal Allen seems to favor over me now!"

"I don't know about that," I muttered, leaning down to continue the task Cosimo had set upon me. "Allen is always quick to return back to you." As if in agreement, the dog barked loudly and happily. "See?"

"Why is it that you appear so sad?!" Mana demanded with a gasp, leaning into my view to make a silly expression, clown makeup smeared thickly upon his face.

I snorted. "Just irritated. That idiot Cosimo got food all over his clown suit and demanded that I have it clean and dry before tonight's show! What does he think I am? A miracle worker?! And this water's freezing cold! At this rate, my hands are going to fall off!"

The clown patted me condescendingly atop my head. "It's alright, Red! Just turn that frown upside down, and everything will be okay!"

I scrunched my face up in confusion. "He _was_ right, you are an idiot," I muttered under my breath, referring to the original Allen's assessment of when he first met Mana.

Mana made another silly face, and then a sad one. "Why won't you laugh? Children love clowns!"

I wrinkled my nose and hissed, " _I_ don't."

"Is it because of this Cosimo?"

I opened my mouth, ready to deny, before pausing. I blinked, and realized he was correct. It seemed the loathing I held for Cosimo had leaked onto his job description. Not that I needed a reason to hate clowns. They were creepy either way.

I shrugged. "Doesn't matter. And a word of advice; keep Allen away from Cosimo. He likes to beat the nearest living being whenever he gets angry."

Mana made another sad face. "Is that why you're so sad? Did Cosimo beat you?"

This stupid clown was seriously starting to get on my nerves. With an abrupt splash, I stood and dragged Cosimo's stupid clown suit out of the water, and squeezed it dry as best I could, before stomping away. Mana and Allen were quick to catch up.

"Maybe you would like clowns better if you learned how to be one! It would certainly put a smile on your face!" Mana suggested, easily keeping up with my quick stride, and as if agreeing, Allen barked.

"Hardly," I huffed.

"Don't knock it till you try it!" Mana exclaimed enthusiastically. "Now, what do you say?"

With a sigh, I paused and pursed my lips in contemplation. If I actually took up his offer, it would certainly give Cosimo less of a chance to find me and beat me up for the heck of it. Plus, Cross was slippery and difficult to find. It'd probably be a while before I could locate him, and if I kept Mana around here longer by getting him to train me, than that would just better my chances. And… well, I guess I would learn all those acrobatic skills the original Allen had learned.

I finally turned to the expectant clown, and said, "Only on one condition."

"Anything!" Mana was all too happy to offer.

"Keep Allen away from Cosimo at all costs. I wasn't joking when I said that the wretched man would most likely be his cause of death," I growled, and Allen licked my left hand. I smiled, and scratched the back of his ear.

"Deal!"

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 **A/N:** So just in case anyone forgot, she's a _girl_! Haha, I was more comfortable writing from a female's perspective (for obvious reasons), but I also didn't want a case of another Robin (Zone reference, for anyone who remembers). So this is pretty much an SI-OC!Fem!Allen. Understood? But because of her current predicament, she'll just be cross-dressing for the time being. So she's an SI-OC!Cross-dressing!Fem!Allen.

I hope I don't confuse anyone!(x Is this a weird story? I don't know! I've had lots of fun writing it, and I hope others like it too! Please review and let me know what you think! I would love to know! Constructive criticism is appreciated!(:


	2. Parting of Paths

**A/N:** Merry Christmas Eve everyone! :D I hope you're all having a great Christmas, and if you have the time, here's a little something I decided to whip up for you, my lovely readers! A special thanks to **Sakura Hyuga** , **lizy2000** , **mellifluousMondegreen** , **Neah D. Campbell** , **The Moyashi Beansprout Midget** (x2), and **Lena-luvs-cats** for being so kind as to leave reviews!(: I really appreciate it!^.^ Enjoy~!

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 **Disclaimer** **:** No~.

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Chapter 2

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 **Time Frame — Afternoon** **of December 15th, 1887**

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 **—1st Person POV—**

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and attempted to remain focused, and before I could change my mind, I hurtled forward. As practiced, my hands planted firmly on the ground for a fraction of second before I continued to fling myself in a series of cartwheels and tumbles, lastly ending on flip mid-air before landing on my feet with a thud. My shoulders heaved as I caught my breath, and I muttered in a disbelieving tone, "I… I did it… I really did it!" I spun around with a cheer, cheeks stretching with a painfully wide grin. "Did you see that Mana?! I did it!"

Mana, for once not in costume, clapped enthusiastically, accompanied by Allen the dog's raucous barking. "Whoo!" he cheered with a grin of his own. "That was absolutely spectacular! Excellent job! You've certainly come a long way!"

I released a breathless laugh. "Y-yeah…"

It had been over a month since I'd agreed to Mana's offer of being taught by him, and he _was_ right, I _had_ come a long way. It had started out with simple juggling tricks, and then balancing tricks (like standing atop a rubber ball), and then we'd moved on to handstands and cartwheels and flips. But now, I had to learn to combine it all together.

Then again, it was no wonder I'd managed to learn so much in a mere month with all the spare time we had. Performances were for a couple hours every night. And it depended on your position in the circus, but because Mana was a performer, and he was training me, it meant we had practically all day to prepare! … And that was another thing; Mana was _training_ me. Not as in training me for the heck of it when he had the time, but _officially_ training me. After Cosimo had found out what was going on, instead of giving me a beating like I'd expected, he'd gone raging to the Ring Master, demanding that Mana be tossed out for trying to steal his slave. But Mana was a coveted performer, and after some heated arguing, it was finalized with Cosimo demanding a high price for me. I have no idea how Mana had scraped up the money with his meager salary, but he'd bought my _freedom_.

Despite my every doubt and trepidation, seeing Mana fight so furiously for me had endeared him to me. He was the first person who'd _looked out for me_. The first person to make me feel like I didn't have to be _alone_. Unlike everyone else in this wretched world, he _cared_. And part of me didn't want to let go.

I beamed and shrugged modestly. "I still have quite the way to go. Though I am honestly surprised at myself; I never thought I could accomplish such feats!"

Mana chuckled and reached over to ruffle my hair. "The younger you start out, the easier it is to learn this! You'll be joining me in performances in no time! Just you watch!"

"Looking forward to it!" I laughed, feeling carefree.

Hand shielding his eyes, Mana squinted up at the at sun, which stood at its highest point. "It looks to be around lunch time. I'm certainly hungry enough for it!" he chuckled, and I grinned in return. "How about you go down to the river to refill the canteens and I'll meet you back here with something to eat?"

"Got it!" I agreed with a sharp nod, scrambling over to snatch up the canteens, and with a wave in his direction, strolled in the direction of the forest. Softly, I hummed to myself, feeling content and at ease.

I paused.

And then carried on, attempting to act as if I hadn't noticed the gold fluttering from my peripherals, and continued my humming. Once I reach the river, I kneeled beside it and swiftly refilled the canteens. It was as I was returning that I slowly edged my way closer and closer to the golden golem flitting through the leaves and branches. And once I knew I was close enough, I dropped the canteens and shot my hands out, successfully grasping onto the struggling golem. "Aha!"

I stood there for a moment, amazed that I'd finally managed to catch the flighty golem. I'd already spotted Timcanpy multiple times over the past month, but I'd never managed to get _this_ close to him! Now, all there was left was to find a way to make it lead me to Cross… and if I was unable to think something up, I'd have to find a way to keep the golem contained in order to lure the General out.

 ** _Use the command mode to switch its master recognition._**

I jolted and nearly released the thrashing golem, but managed to tighten my hands around it before it could completely escape.

 _N-Neah?!_ I demanded, feeling a mixture of shock and annoyance. I hadn't spoken with the Noah since that first time five months ago! I'd simply assumed he hadn't been able to stay awake for long and had returned to his slumber in order to continue his recovery. And I hadn't expected for him to wake up _this_ early on!

 ** _Yes. Why do you sound so surprised? Despite my need to recover, after being awoken by you, it's easier to occasionally awake on my own now. Has it been a long time?_**

 _Um, it's been five months…_ I trailed off, unsure of how to react to his sudden presence. Was this a good or bad thing?

 ** _Hmm, longer than I thought… Anyway, sooner or later, Timcanpy will bite your hand off. Why have you not used the command mode?_**

I frowned, perplexed. _What command mode?_

 ** _I've already taught this to you and Cross, why—right, never mind. Now, say this out loud: Timcanpy, adjust to command mode. Identification of current master will temporarily be modified. Scan and recognize me as: Allen Walker._**

 _Why only temporary?_ I wondered.

 ** _Because I'm his original creator, and that can't be altered. Now hurry; he's already barring his teeth at you._**

I shuddered at the sharp canines the golem exposed, and raising him to eyelevel, repeating after Neah, "Timcanpy, adjust to command mode." Instantly, Tim calmed within my hands. "Identification of current master will temporarily be modified. Scan and recognize me as: Allen Walker." Expanding its jaw, Timcanpy shot out a beam of blue light which ran along my features before vanishing. Tentatively, I released the golem, and fortunately, Tim simply fluttered for a second before snuggling on my shoulder.

 _Wow, I can't believe that worked._

 ** _You're welcome,_** the Noah huffed, slightly amused.

Sheepishly, I replied, _Thanks._ _Um, so if I ask it to lead me to Cross, it will listen to me?_

 ** _Tim will do anything you ask of him._**

I snorted. _What? Even self-destruct?_

 ** _… Yes._**

 _Oh! Um, right…_ After awkwardly trailing off, I turned back to the golem and commanded, "Timcanpy, hide for now will you?" The golden golem momentarily flew upward before suddenly shooting down and diving into my vest. I muffled a giggle from the ticklish feeling.

 ** _Will you not seek out Cross?_**

 _Yes! But not now. Mana will worry if I suddenly disappear._

 ** _… Mana? Mana's here?! Where?! Wait! Why are you—_**

 _Alright! Just give me a chance to explain!_ I cut in, feeling like a complete moron for bringing him up. _I don't know how, but he found me, okay? He doesn't know that I remember anything, and he's been helping me out… I don't understand what his motives are, but I've been desperate enough to accept his help._

 ** _Are you out of your mind?! What the hell, Allen?! You of all people should know—_**

 _Well I don't, okay?! I_ don't _know,_ I mentally growled as I leaned down to snatch the canteens back up. _In fact, rather than yelling at me for being a moron, why don't you try and be helpful, and jog my memory._

I heard him sigh. **_Maybe this isn't the best time…_**

I scoffed. _Whatever._

Hearing no reply, I simply shrugged and began to head back, making it back to our meeting spot in no time, where Mana already sat waiting. Hearing me, the older man turned to me with a grin. "Hey! What took you so long?"

"Heh, sorry!" I called out with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of my head. "I accidentally dropped the canteens before screwing on the caps, so I had to go and refill them again. Have you been waiting for long?"

"Not too long," Mana replied. "In fact, you made it just in time! I was getting ready to eat your lunch!"

"What?! No way!" I shouted indignantly, racing over with a laugh.

 ** _Dear Brother, what_** **are _you up to now?_**

* * *

That night, I waited for Mana to reach a deep sleep before I silently snuck out of the tent. Once I reached the outskirts of the circus grounds, I dug Timcanpy out from the inside pocket of my vest. "Tim! Please lead me to wherever Cross is!" Fortunately, the golem zipped away at a manageable speed with which I could keep up with.

Once I reached the inn he was staying in, I ordered for Timcanpy to return to hiding within my vest, and cautiously entered.

"Hello there!" the innkeeper greeted me. "How can we help you?"

"Ah, I am seeking out General Cross. He said he would be residing in this particular inn. Could you please tell me his room number?" I tried to appear as innocent as possible. I had the looks for it; unfortunately, I was dirty and my clothes were frayed, so I resembled more a street urchin than anything else.

Thankfully, the kind innkeeper was willing to look past that. "Yes, of course. In fact, he just returned fifteen minutes ago! Go on up, he is in room five."

"Thank you so much!" I smiled gratefully and hurried over and up the stairs. The closer I grew, the more nervous I became. I was going to meet Cross of all people—of all _characters_. Truthfully, it was quite intimidating. But I'd already made my choice, so with a deep breath, I made my way down the hall until I reached the room at the end marked with a _5_.

It was as I was getting ready to barge in that I belatedly recalled that the general was a total womanizer. Immediately backtracking, I instead settled for a knock.

As I waited, I leaned forward, curiously listening to the jumble of grumbles and curses audible through the closed doorway, before suddenly jumping back as it was slammed open. I almost squeaked in fright, craning my neck up as far back as possible, observing the frightening man towering over me. His red hair was so vibrant, mine paled in comparison, and only one side of his face was visible (the right side concealed with a white mask). But even that one visible, maroon eye narrowed in my direction was enough to make me quake in my boots.

" _What_?!" the general demanded grumpily, and if I weren't so petrified, I would've found it quite comedic how it took him a couple seconds to realize that in order to see me, he'd be forced to bend his head down.

Clearing my throat, I waited for a second to make sure my voice wouldn't shake, before speaking up, "Hello Cross."

For a moment, Cross could only gaze at me, wide-eyed. "… What the hell?!"

I sighed. "Well, I guess I should've expected that reaction."

* * *

"So you remember?" was the first thing Cross demanded once we were settled in his room. He stood across from me, arms crossed and leaning against the wall, cigarette balanced between his lips. I was plopped at the edge of his bed, fingers fiddling with his rumpled sheets (fortunately, he hadn't been entertaining company) and feet swinging back and forth.

"Remember is… a faulty term. Let's go with, I know more than I should," I finally replied with a shrug, gazing up at him curiously. "It'd be nice if you could fill in the blanks though…"

Cross narrowed his eyes. Well, there went that hope… Both Neah and Cross had now refused to tell me much of anything. How incredibly helpful… "How did you find me?" Cross asked, sounding vaguely suspicious.

Without a word, I dug my hand into my vest and pulled Timcanpy out. The poor golem appeared slightly ruffled from being awakened. The redheaded General glared at me again, and commanded, "Timcanpy, come here." When the golem failed to comply with the command, Cross huffed. "Don't remember anything my ass. How the hell can you act like you don't remember and then go and modify Timcanpy's master identification?"

I tilted my head to the side, wondering whether I should admit the truth. And, figuring I had nothing to lose, I simply confessed, "I _don't_ remember. Neah told me how."

Cross lost it at that. "Are you fucking shitting me?! What the hell, you moron! Why did you go and wake him up so early?!" Cross raged, and I shrunk into myself, frightened by the demon-like General. "Damn Allen! Out of everything, why couldn't you have at least remembered that he's not supposed wake up for at least another ten years?!"

Fist clenched and features furrowed into a confused scowl, I demanded, "What's the difference?!"

Cross dragged a hand down his face. " _Because_ , he may seem normal and calm now, but once he begins to recover his memory, all the pent up fury and revenge will drive him mad. He'll want to take action _now_ , and it's not time yet! For one, you're not physically ready yet, and second, the Noah have gone into hiding. I don't even know what the hell the Earl is up to now; he's not even making Akuma! … The only upside I see to this is being able to infiltrate the Ark…"

"Right, the Akuma Egg Plant…" I sighed, wondering what I should do. Going along with Cross' plan at this point seemed the most simple. But I felt so conflicted, being thrown into the middle of this war. I may not care about the individuals involved, but I'd _always_ been taught to do the right thing. If given the choice, why shouldn't I make the choice to _end_ this war? Even I wasn't so selfish as to believe walking away was an option…

"And there you go again, spouting out information you _shouldn't_ know!" Cross scowled at me. I shrugged, and with a shake of his head, he continued, "We're going to have to come up with a new plan. At this rate, Neah will be able to take control of your body by the time you're ten. I was originally going to have you join the Order, but infiltrating the Noah Clan might be your only option."

I hummed thoughtfully, and then wondered, "Why don't I just do both?"

Cross turned to me. "Excuse me?"

I shrugged. "If I can get Neah to cooperate, why don't we just do both? Infiltrate both the Noah Clan and the Black Order. It's just an idea; I don't recall the original plan," here, I paused and then figured that the original plan was probably something along the events of the original story line. "Nor do I know what plan you're trying to think up now, but I just thought I'd throw that out there. I don't particularly have any idea as to why I'd want to be involved in this war, but with Neah getting ready to take over, I figure I don't have a choice."

The General rubbed his head in an exhausted manner. "It's hard to believe you don't remember anything, and then you go throwing around shit like that…"

Taking a deep breath, I tentatively suggested, "I'm sorry, but… how long do I have to stay with the circus before I can train for whatever it is that you want me to do?" _In other words, help me out and get me out of that place._

"I was originally going to watch and see how far Mana would go before taking you on as an apprentice. But you can't just up and disappear. Mana is interested in you now, and I don't know to what lengths he'll go to if you do run off, so just stick with him for now. He'll ditch the circus sooner or later, and once he does, he'll probably offer for you to come along. Decline him and meet back up with me here, and then maybe we can figure out this whole mess."

I nodded, grateful. I was so lost, a little guidance in this world was all I was looking for. "Okay, I'll see you then, General."

* * *

 **Time Frame — Afternoon of December 25th, 1887**

* * *

"There! I think you've almost got it!" Mana cheered me on.

I bit my lip in concentration, carefully juggling the series of colorful balls, but one went a little too far out and I reached out to catch it, fortunately not interrupting the cycle. Sadly, I'd momentarily forgotten the fact that I was simultaneously balancing atop an enormous rubber ball and ended up with my feet swept up from underneath me as the ball rolled away and I clumsily hit the ground, landing on my back. "… _Ouch_."

Mana's jubilant laughter could be heard. "Remember, as a clown, you totally meant to do that!"

"Right!" I grinned with a small wince, as I jumped back on my feet and seized back the smaller balls, instantly tossing them into the air as I once again began to juggle.

Mana clapped enthusiastically in chorus with Allen's barking. "Perfect! Sometimes, the crowds loved to laugh at our mess ups, but it's no fun if we sulk about it. As the saying goes, the show must go on!"

I finally came to a halt, and rubbed the back of my head a bit sheepish. "Heh, right…"

He patted my head with an encouraging smile. "Don't fret too much. You'll eventually get the hang of it."

I nodded with a grin of my own, and noticing that the sun was beginning to set, I set about cleaning up our mess with the help of Allen and Mana. Once we'd gotten everything packed up and into the tent, Mana straightened up and turned to me, and for once, his expression was somber. That made me pause; Mana was always smiling. I don't think I'd ever seen him with any other expression.

"Is something the matter, Mana?" I asked, slightly cautious.

His eyebrows lifted in shock, and he smiled once more, though a little more gentle this time, rather than a large grin. "Oh no, of course not! But you see, the pay is not so great here so I was planning on going off and performing solo, and I was wondering… Would you like to join me?"

Here it was. The moment had come. With a heavy sigh, I gazed up at him and regretfully said, "I'm sorry Mana, but no…" His expression crumbled, and feeling guilty, I reached up and hugged him around his torso. I clung tightly onto him, not wanting to let go, but as I did, I shut my eyes, recalling what awaited me if I were to accept his offer. Images of his "death" and then his "revival"; of creating an Akuma and being forever cursed because of it. It was as I thought of this that I was finally able to step back without remorse.

"Thank you for everything, Mana. I'll never forget you as you are now."

* * *

 **A/N:** And there you go everyone! I was going to have this be longer, but I need to get ready for Christmas Eve dinner, and I wanted to update, so I figured this ending was fine! I hope you enjoyed! Please review!^.^


	3. Girlish Disposition

**A/N:** Sorry I haven't worked on this for a good while. I was a bit stuck on this chapter, since I ran out of ideas to write!(x But here you go! And thank you so much to **Kademe** , **lizy2000** , **The Moyashi Beansprout Midget** , **Lena-luvs-cats** , **Neah D. Walker** , **mellifluousMondegreen** , **Sakura Hyuga** , **XavierForest** , **ACertainCuriousReader** , and **Red raspberries** for all taking the time to review!(: And hopefully you've all stuck around to enjoy this chapter! Hope you all like it!^.^

* * *

 **Disclaimer** **:** If I lied and claimed that I own this, would I get sued? Pfft, let's try! I totally own everything from this manga—*is maimed by Kanda* … N-never mind…

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

 **Time Frame — Afternoon** **of December 26th, 1887**

* * *

 **—1st Person POV—**

The one nice thing about being so small, was the fact that I could comfortably curl up anywhere. I took full advantage of this fact while sitting on the padded seat of the private train compartment, bringing my knees up beneath my chin and curling my arms around my legs. "So, what now?" I wondered, gazing at the seat across, where General Cross sat back, relaxed, glass of wine in hand.

"Have you spoken with Neah, yet? I need to know whether we'll be able to have his full cooperation before we can plan our next move," Cross replied, lazily swirling the blood red liquid in his glass.

I shook my head. "I think he's returned to his slumber, but I'll be sure to speak with him tonight."

"Good," the General's voice rumbled, "Now, do you know how to activate your Innocence?"

"No," I frowned. "I haven't really thought of attempting to do so. Not only have I not had the time, but if I were to do so, I'd attract Akuma before I could even figure out how to use it…"

Cross tilted his head in a nod. "Smart of you. But now that the plan is fucked up, you only have a little bit of time before you need to be ready to confront both the Noah and the Black Order. I have a couple ideas cooking up, but they'll all be worth shit if you're not prepared."

"How encouraging," I huffed, lips pursed in thought. What on earth was I getting myself _into_ …? But whatever it was, I had a feeling it was much too late to back out now… "That's not to say I won't be able to figure it out. With you around, I'm sure plenty of Akuma will be attracted to our location," I muttered, eyes cast down anxiously, hand absentmindedly reaching up to tuck errant, strands of red hair behind my ear. "Here's to hoping I don't get myself killed prematurely."

The General narrowed his single maroon orb, eyeing me critically. "Don't be such a moron. I'll help you out."

I glanced up sharply at him, momentarily gaping in reaction before shaking away the expression, a sardonic smile in place. "Certainly not looking forward to it… no offense, General."

Rather than being offended and acting indignant, Cross' features became darker with thought. "Kid, Allen, what on God's earth do you remember about me?"

That threw me for the loop. I grappled to find a quick, plausible answer, before shaking my head instead. I wasn't stupid enough to believe Cross wouldn't see right through me. So rather, I quietly wondered how I could explain to him that despite not explicitly knowing anything about his past, I knew about the way he would treat young Allen. And figuring that I would just make a mess of things, I veered my head over to watch the passing scenery through the window and mumbled an answer of, "You're an asshole. That's all."

"I see…"

" _Ow_! What was that for?!" I demanded indignantly, rubbing at the aching bruise Cross had just inflicted upon my head and narrowing my eyes at him heatedly. "That hurt!" I cried and cradled my throbbing skull.

"Don't be such a girl," Cross sneered.

"Well, you know what?!" I shouted, scrambling unto my feet atop the bench and ignoring the worried attendant that had just walked in on us. "I _am_ a girl!"

… You could have a heard a pin drop in the dead silence that followed my declaration.

And then…

"Is everything _alright_?" the female attendant demanded, bug-eyed as her eyes flitted back and forth between Cross and I.

Whirling in her direction, I cried, " _No_! He _hit_ me!"

Looking back on it, it was quite scary the way her eyes had suddenly narrowed.

* * *

 _Oh, he's so going to kill me…_ I thought with dread later that night, swinging my legs back and forth and pointedly avoiding the seething glare Cross was bequeathing me with from across the room. And if you hadn't already guessed, we were stuck at the police station; had been for hours now. The nurse at hand had checked me over thoroughly and had been appalled at the fading bruises and the occasional scar. She had been nice and caring, and fortunately, she'd believed me when I quietly explained to her the real reason behind them. I figured, that with the times being what they were, they wouldn't make too much of a fuss if I decided to stay with Cross, unlike how it would've been in my past life. Now, all there was to do was to wait while they sorted things out.

"Well, missy," the large policeman rumbled once he'd trudge over to my side, offering me a skeptical glance when he referred to me as "missy", as though my gender were truly debatable. Not that I could blame him; my ratty hair coupled with my trousers really maintained my boy-like image. "The nurse gave me a brief summary of everything. But as a man of the law, I am required to at the very least question you before letting you go; especially with the likes of that man." Here, he tossed his own, squinty-eyed scowl in Cross' direction. "Now, why is it that you are traveling with this man?"

I fiddled with my hands, but firmly replied, "Because we both agreed to it."

"Uh huh," he dubiously responded, and continued, "And what is your relation to him?"

"He…" I trailed of uncertainly, and discreetly turned my gaze in the General's direction, wondering how he wanted me to respond. But the bastard was leaning against the counter, shamelessly flirting with the policewoman that sat at the desk! And she was falling for his charms as well! Narrowing my eyes, I abruptly turned to the cop and loudly proclaimed, "He's my father!"

Without having to glance over, I knew Cross had choked on whatever stupid line he'd been using on the unfortunate lady.

It was difficult to keep my smirk at bay, but the policeman hardly seemed to notice as he moved on to his next question. "And where was he before you two found each other?"

"Um… traveling, I believe," I replied with a shrug, and to make it seem more authentic, I tacked on, "He didn't know about me until he passed through my hometown, looking for my mother. She's dead, but he had the luck of finding me."

"Oh, really?" The cop, despite being a little slow, was smart enough to point out, "But the nurse mentioned you were traveling with a circus. That is how you received your injuries, after all. At least, that's what you said."

"Err, yes of course," I quickly nodded, and clumsily explained, "I was with them for a good couple months, but uh, the circus makes rotations, and they usually end up returning to the same towns… especially that ones where they make good money! So I was able to return for a couple weeks, and knowing of me, my previous caretaker was able to point him in my direction."

"I see," the policeman nodded, a little more satisfied with my in depth explanation. "But how much do you know about this man? You mentioned you met him only a few weeks ago; has this been the first time he's hurt you in such a way?"

"Uh, well yeah…" (After all, I had only been traveling with him since _yesterday_.) A little embarrassed, I admitted, "He didn't really hurt me, and I sort of had him under the impression that I was a boy…"

"And what was the reason he hurt you in the first place?" he continued, relentless with his questioning, mustache quivering.

"Umm, I called him an asshole," I mumbled sheepishly, scratching my cheek.

"And what does he do for a living? You mentioned you two travel; where are you headed to nex—"

"Enough!" Cross growled, stomping over to us, expression ablaze with irritation. "I'm through with playing along. See this?" he demanded, jabbing a finger against the golden rose cross nestled against his chest. "It marks me as a General of the Black Order, and you should know what that means, because I know for a fact that most of the businesses in this town are supporters." The rotund policeman instantly paled in reaction, going a little bug-eyed. "And the idiot girl here is my apprentice. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're leaving this damn station."

Without warning, the General snatched me up and tossed me over his shoulder, and purposely strode out.

"… On a scale of one to ten, how badly do you hate me right now?"

"They'll never be able to identify your body."

"I'll take that as an 11."

* * *

 _"Oh, goodie," I muttered, as I sat up and curiously observed the sprawling lake. "It worked." After a moment, I took note of the thin, colorful threads intertwining through the still waters and immediately glanced away. If Allen had been forced to envision Lenalee's nightmares of the apocalypse, what did that mean for_ me _? Gingerly, I rose to my feet and set onwards through the path, ignoring the skeleton-like trees that rustled eerily on either side of me. And just like the first time, I keenly eyed the shackled Noah approaching my view._

 _Except this time, I was more confident as I strode in his direction and reached up to grasp his arm. I gave him a firm shake, and then another when I received no reaction from him. It took a few minutes, but eventually, his heavy lids revealed groggy eyes, the golden color glazed over with sleep. "… Allen?"_

 _"Um, yes," I nodded, observing his hooded gaze and wondering whether he'd stay awake long enough to hear me out. "Sorry, I know it's only been two weeks since you last awoke, but—"_

 _"Two weeks? Already?" he demanded, sitting up a little straighter, and if he could, I'm sure he'd be attempting to rub the sleep away from his face. "What's going on with Mana—"_

 _"Okay, chill out, will you?" I huffed, crossing my arms. "If it makes you feel any better, I already ditched him, so don't worry about it. I'm with Cross now."_

 _Neah calmed slightly, and sighed, "I see."_

 _"Yes," I nodded, "But let me cut to the chase now, will you? It's clear I shouldn't have awoken you so early, but I screwed up Cross' plans big time. And before we move forward, we need to know if we can have your cooperation."_

 _"My cooperation?" A little more alert now, his eyes narrowed. "My cooperation for what?"_

 _I took a deep breath and attempted to explain in a coherent manner, "Cross predicts that because I've made you aware, your recovery rate will hasten, and it'll allow you to fully be able to take over my body by the time I'm ten. Originally, it wasn't supposed to happen until I turned 15. But it's too late to turn back now. I certainly don't know the full extent of his plans at the moment, because first we want to know if you're willing to cooperate with whatever it is we'll come up with… and that might include playing nice with the Noah Clan."_

 _Neah's gaze momentarily darkened, before he shook it away and tossed me a shrewd look. "What is it that you're not telling me? There's something else; otherwise Cross wouldn't find the need to ask for my help. And that bastard knows it too."_

 _I hesitated, and then admitted, "Cross_ also _predicted that by this time, your memories will have fully recovered to that last point of your life, right before your death. He says you'll most likely succumb to all the anger, rage and despair you felt in that moment, and act on it. If you're not willing to think rationally, then all is lost."_

 _I briefly noted his hands fisting tightly against the throne's armrests, veins bulging. Darkly, he quietly asked, "And why shouldn't I?"_

 _I forced down a shiver, and firmly replied, "Because, my body won't be prepared, and you'll only get both of us killed. The body of a ten-year-old isn't the most resilient, after all."_

 _"… Last time, you mentioned that most of your own memories had been erased. Have you recovered any of them yet?"_

 _Momentarily, I startled in reaction to the out-of-the-blue question. "Um, no. Why do you ask?"_

 _Rather than answering, he abruptly demanded, "Then why is it that you're so set on doing this? You don't remember shit about_ any _of us. What's in it for_ you _?"_

 _I involuntarily took a step back. His eyes narrowed further, and with a sad frown, I turned to walk away. It was as I was nearing the edge of the deadened forest that I called back, "For now, let's say that it's for the sake of my own peace of mind. But really, there's not much to live for when there's a bitter, old Noah waiting around to essentially eradicate my soul. So, might as well make it a good one, yeah?"_

 _I continued on the path, and without shouting, Neah's voice easily carried over to my ears as he whispered, "I accept. I'll help you in any way I can."_

* * *

 **Time Frame — Afternoon of January 4th, 1888**

* * *

In retrospect, it really was fortunate that I was girl, because despite Cross' previous anger, it seemed that he didn't know what to do with me the moment it diffused. And if my observations were correct, I even think he felt a little awkward around me. Maybe it was the fact that the Allen he once knew was male… it sure as heck made sense when he asked me if I was sure I was a girl. And I'm sure that if it hadn't been for the nurse's confirmation, he wouldn't have believed me. But it was quite amusing how careful he was with me now. If I even so much as tripped, he was there, grasping onto the back of my shirt to make sure I didn't hurt myself. Heh, at least it was now obvious that he wouldn't be tossing me into the pathway of an Akuma anytime soon.

Even so, it still irritated me the way he dodge most of my questions. We'd been travelling nonstop for the past week, and he had yet to explain to me what he was planning; the only thing I'd gotten out of him was the fact that our destination was China and that he needed some supplies to form a new plan (not that I knew what any of it was), now that Neah's cooperation had been confirmed.

"This is our stop," General Cross remarked as he rose with a flourish, and was swift to head out of the train compartment. I hurriedly scrambled after him, my small hand gripping tightly unto his coat so that I wouldn't get swept up in the crowds.

"It's about time," I grumbled, though I doubted I could be heard above the throngs commuting the train station. "I was getting real sick of that stupid train."

As I trotted beside the General, I curiously observed the bustling port town as evening set in, and not so discreetly, wrinkled my nose in disgust. The streets were dirty and littered with trash, businesses of all types crowding together on either side of the narrow road. The lights were bright and blinding and the rotting stench of garbage mixed with grilled fish clogged my nose and made me want to gag. I could feel my skin becoming clammy with sweat as the filthy townspeople crowded on either side of me, attempting to shout over each other and creating an unending clamor for attention. Carts tumbled over the uneven roads, and the prostitutes on every corner were unashamed to make themselves known.

"Where _are_ we?!" I demanded above the racket, trying to make myself heard.

"This is what we call the red light district," Cross answered, drawing me closer and hurrying along. Soon, we arrived to a large building, its vivid lights catching my attention and though I couldn't read the kanji, I had the dreaded feeling that I knew exactly where we were. And as Cross swept right in without a care in the world, my thoughts were confirmed. We were in a brothel.

"Ah, wait up!" I squeaked, when a half-naked lady tried to get my attention, and I practically dived into the folds of Cross' Exorcist coat, not even bothering to look where we were going, only keeping my head down and trotting along.

It wasn't until we entered a room on one of the top floors that I heard a soft feminine voice call, "Ah, Cross! I received your message, but I didn't realize you'd arrive so soon! But where is the girl?"

Before I could protest, Cross suddenly snatched me up by the scruff of my tunic and gently set me in front of him, where I could more clearly observe the lady he'd been speaking to. Her beauty was breathtaking; she was wrapped and covered in various layers of colorful silk, her lengthy hair trailed smoothly from beneath her traditional headwear, and her makeup was pleasant and skillfully done. Feeling slightly nervous, I wet my dry lips and fiddled with the hem of my shirt as I said, "Um, h-hello."

"Hello, I'm Anita," the beautiful lady introduced herself, and I almost kicked myself for not immediately recognizing her. "And you must be the young girl General Cross spoke so fondly of. Allen, was it?"

A little bug-eyed, I nodded, internally wondering, _Fondly?! He spoke fondly of me?! What on earth…?!_

Above me, Cross scoffed. "Alright, while you get acquainted with Miss Anita, I have to get going."

"What?!" I practically shouted, spinning around to face him. "You're leaving me here?!"

"Quiet down," Cross sighed, "I need to meet up with some of my contacts to figure a few things out. I should be back by morning." And in response to my look of scrutiny, he tacked on, "I'll explain everything later."

With a small, resigned sigh I took a step back. "Oh, okay fine."

Without another word, Cross swiftly strode from the room and I was left alone with Anita. A little self-consciously, I turned back to her, awkwardly scuffing my foot against the floor. But she simply smiled at me kindly and padded the silk cushions beside her. "Come here, Allen. Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself?"

"Um, like what?" I asked, gingerly sitting next to her and examining her apprehensively.

"For starters, how old are you?" she inquired in her silky tone of voice, never once losing her smile.

"Uh, six," I shrugged, though the words felt wrong and awkward on my tongue. I couldn't recall my exact age from my previous life, but I'm sure it was probably triple that, at the very least. "What about you?"

She seemed slightly surprised that I'd turned the question on her, but she simply lifted her shoulders in an elegant shrug of her own and replied, "I am 18."

My eyes widened a little; that's right. This was way early in the timeline; of course she'd be a lot younger. "Um, wow, that's pretty young. At least to be running a brothel, in any case."

Her dark eyes seemed to sadden before me as she softly replied, "Yes, after my mother's death, the burdened was carried over to me, and in honor of her, I gladly took the role." She then sent me her own look of scrutiny. "General Cross was right in his warning; you are quite the shrewd child."

My face reddened slightly with embarrassment, but it's not like I knew how to dumb myself down and make it believable. And I figured since most of my childhood would be spent travelling with Cross, it wouldn't matter all that much since I'd hardly attract any attention in that way. "Really? What else did he say about me?"

She beamed. "Not much, really. The poor man is at such a lost with what to do with you. He knows how to treat girl like me, but you're still so young and growing. He is unsure of how to properly treat you while also trying to effectively train you as an Exorcist. And it's already quite so obvious! You poor girl are in need of a makeover!"

"E-excuse me?!" I demanded, eyes widening. "I-I'm sorry Miss Anita, but I'm sure that's the last thing I need! Like you said, I am training to become an Exorcist; it'll be strenuous, dirty work, and I doubt there will be much time to—"

"This is exactly what I mean," she remarked, placing a dainty hand upon my shoulder. "You still need to learn how to be a girl, despite all this. You can't allow the war to take _everything_ away from you, even if it's something as simple as occasionally dressing up. Now, come along," she said, gracefully rising to her feet. Grudgingly, I carefully stood, watching as she daintily removed her traditional headwear and shed away layers of her silk robes, until she was only wearing a single one. Embarrassed, I turned my head away when I noticed it was slightly see-through.

"Where are we going?" I wondered, as she took my hand and guided me through another set of rooms.

She tossed me a beautiful smile over her shoulder. "You'll see. I'm sure you'll love it!"

* * *

"Wow, this is heavenly," I sighed, as I sunk further into the steaming water. Anita had led me to her personal baths, which were quite expansive, and had me join her in taking a nice, long bath.

Rhythmically, she used a sponge to gently scrub the dirt caked on my back and shoulders. "I'm glad you think so. My mother used to do this for me when I was your age. They're some of my fondest memories."

My own smile saddened slightly, and I quietly replied, "Thank you for doing this for me, Miss Anita."

"Of course," she replied from behind me, and even then I could hear her smile. "It's my pleasure." Anita then paused and a moment later, her fingers were gently massaging my scalp, rubbing in the shampoo and creating suds and bubbles that trickled down to the water, creating a soapy foam around us. With another contented sigh, I relaxed further, allowing her to work on me, my earlier embarrassment completely forgotten. When was the last time I'd been so clean? It must have been at least a year, which made taking a bath all the more glorious.

Sadly, it finally came to an end when we took note of our skin wrinkling from the extended amount of time exposed to the water. Gingerly, I exited after her, accepting a robe and wrapping it around me, enjoying the fluffy warmth. We returned to her rooms, and she offered me an old set of silky pajamas that had once belonged to her. She then sat me in front of mirror, and took a seat behind me as she began to gently brush my dripping, wet locks.

"Would you mind if I cut your hair?" Anita wondered, eyeing my split-ends and uneven hair strands.

"Go for it," I shrugged, not particularly worried. It had been such a long time since I'd worried about my physical appearance; survival had always been my first priority in this life.

Anita offered me yet another smile, and once she found a pair of scissors, she carefully snipped away at my hair, pulling it this way and that, brushing it in certain directions and repeating the cycle. I grew bored pretty quickly, and didn't pay her much mind, until she finally called my attention to the mirror. By this point, my hair was mostly dry, and had been styled into a shoulder-length bob, a couple strands in the front a bit shorter in order to frame my cherubic face. "It's cute!" I grinned. "Thank you, Miss Anita!"

"You're welcome," she beamed, and was quick to sweep up the mess of red locks. One she was done, she kneeled beside, and reach over to a nearby drawer, pulling out folded, piece of silk. Unfolding it, she revealed it to be a black, Chinese-styled dress with red threading that looked to be around my size. "What do you think?" she asked. "It's called a _cheongsam_. It used to be mine when I was little. I was thinking you could wear it tomorrow."

"Um, wow, it's really pretty! Are you sure?" I questioned her, hesitantly reaching a hand out to run my fingers over the glossy fabric.

"I'm sure," she nodded, before folding it back up and placing it back in the drawer. "But that's not what I really wanted to show you!" Curiously, I watched as she once again reached over, but this time, she pulled into view a small suitcase. Nudging it in my direction, she happily chimed, "It's for you!"

"Um, thank you!" I smiled at her sincerely, though internally, I was wondering what on earth I was going to do with it. It's not like I had a penny to my name. But either way, it _was_ quite a beautiful suitcase.

"No, silly girl," she laughed, "You have to open it!"

"Oh, uh, right! I knew that!" I scratched the back of my head sheepishly, and then reached over to unlock the clasp. Pushing the top open, my eyes widened in surprise as they took in the neatly folded clothing within it.

"When Cross told me about you, I knew this was going to be something that you needed. A merchant I know owed me a favor, so I had him bring me all this from London. Go on! Take a look!" she encouraged me with a grin.

"O-okay!" I said, cautiously pulling out each article of clothing to get a better look. I smiled, relieved at how practical she'd been with the good number of trousers she'd gotten. But of course, to accompany them, she'd gotten me some blouses. Additionally, she's gotten me a sturdy coat for protection and good pair of leather boots. "Wow, I-I don't know what to say!" She'd even bought me undergarments!

"You don't have to say anything," she smiled, taking my hand in hers. "I'm just happy that someone will be with Cross to accompany him. Look out for him for me, will you?"

"Oh, uh, of course," I nodded immediately in agreement. "Anything!"

"Thank you," she sighed in relief. "And I know this isn't a whole lot of clothing for a single girl, but I figure that you'll quickly grow out of it, so I included a small purse of money, just in case there's anything else you need. And if Cross ever tries to prevent from doing a little shopping, use me as a threat." Anita winked.

I laughed. "I'll be sure not to forget that!" And before I could changed my mind, I launched myself into her arms and gave her a tight hug. "But really, thank you for doing all this!"

Anita reciprocated my hug with a tight squeeze of her own. "I couldn't be happier to do so."

* * *

 **A/N:** Initially, I hadn't planned on including Anita in this, but then I figured that she would be the most likely candidate for Cross to go to in a situation like this. And I'm sure glad I've included her! It was a lot of fun inserting her into this chapter; actually, the chapter as a whole was a lot of fun to write! But what did you guys think about it?

And so far, how do you all feel about OC!Fem!Allen? Since this story is just starting out, I'm still developing her character and personality. And considering the fact that the first few years of her life here, she was forced to be withdrawn, her personality is now, only trickling out. Hopefully, she'll gradually become her own person in the coming chapters.

Oh! And if any of you have any ideas, feel free to let me know! And don't forget to drop a review on your way out!(:


	4. Tentative Link

**A/N:** Yay! I'm back for another chapter!(: I wrote a bit of a vague outline for the coming chapters, so hopefully that will aid me in getting these out sooner!^-^ Thank you to **Neah D. Campbell** , **Kittenanimegirl13** , **Guest** , **Lena-luvs-cats** , **lizy2000** , **mellifluousMondegreen** , **GloomyMercury98** , and **xenocanaan** for all taking the time to drop a review! I appreciate it immensely!(:

 **GloomyMercury98** asked if my OC would be paired with anyone—I think it's most probable that she will. I don't really have anyone specific in mind, but as you get to know her more, let me know who you think she'd be best paired with!(:

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Disclaimer** **:** Sorry, that's a no!(x

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

 **Time Frame —** **Morning of January 5th, 1888**

* * *

 **—1st Person POV—**

By morning, the hustle and bustle of the red light district had quieted down to a muted hush (as probably expected). And luckily for me, Anita had gifted me with my own private room, down the hall from hers (it was the only other room on the top floor, as her own took up the rest of the space). She'd even given me a key to reassure me that no one other than me would be entering these rooms, which was nice; though I don't know how often it happened, I didn't want any of the men that came here accidentally wandering into my room; I shuddered internally, pushing the thought away as I pulled aside the silk sheets and got up for the day. It was a little late in the morning, but I'd stayed up later than usual with Anita last night.

And now, after the conversation I'd had with Cross a week ago, I was not… eager per se, but curious enough to get started; with Anita around though, he'd probably be too distracted to help, and so, I'd decided to take the matter into my own hands for as long as we were staying here, to see if I could make any progress on my own. As I got ready, I took my sweet time; I had a feeling this would be the last of any luxury I would be seeing for a while. I pulled out the _cheongsam_ that Anita had let me borrow with a small smile, and made sure to pull on a thin, black long-sleeve that matched the dress, beneath it so that I could shield my deformed arm from prying eyes.

I also made use of the fancy items that shone along the vanity, using the sparkling comb to brush through my tangles and rubbing some lotion onto my face. The rest of the products were pretty useless for someone my age though, so I left it alone, and moved on to pull on a pair of traditional Chinese flats that matched the red threading on my dress, before slipping on my gloves.

Part of me found it a little disappointing that I couldn't make any more use of all the cosmetics Anita had been generous enough to leave lying around the room, but figuring it was for the best with a resigned sigh, I silently padded across the room and exited, shutting the door with a soft click and using the small key to lock it in place, before pulling the chain on which the key dangled from above my head and around my neck. Tucking the key beneath my dress with a reassured pat, I felt like a bit of a ninja as I sneaked around the brothel, dreading the thought of running into any of the workers or customers. It was all very intimidating considering the fact that I'd always found these sorts of places revolting (still did, in fact), but beggars couldn't be choosers, and I genuinely cared for Anita. I'd just have to keep my opinions to myself.

Fortunately, the rest of the brothel was dead silent and I didn't run into anyone before I was able to make my escape. The streets outside were practically deserted, and so I was unbothered as I exited the red light district; Anita's brothel edged right onto the sandy beaches, so all I had to do was go down the street and walk along the coastline until the view of the harbor came in, massive ships pulled up along it as the bustle of sailors and merchants loaded and unloaded wooden boxes onto the docks. It made quite the sight, and it was relieving to see that there was a normal side of this town. For a few minutes, I watched curiously, before ambling over to a nearby a bench. I hadn't actually planned on going down to the ports, but I figured that sitting here would be a good place as any.

"I wish they could've explained how to do this part in the series," I muttered to myself, eyeing my immediate surroundings to make sure I was alone. Once I was comfortable, I carefully tugged off the glove from left hand, curiously observing the shimmering crystal imbedded into the thick gnarled, red skin. I guess this could technically be considered my next goal. I was attempting to learn how to activate my Innocence weapon; not that I had any idea where I was supposed to start.

"I'm somehow supposed to connect with you," I mumbled under my breath, lifting my hand up for closer inspection. "We're supposed to be partners, right? Is it really as simple as saying, Innocence activate?"

I gasped in reaction to the warmth buzzing along my left arm. There was no physical change, but I was positive I'd felt something! The warm and somehow familiar (but not familiar) feeling had made itself known (maybe I'd dreamt of it; why was it familiar?) quite strongly. "Um, wow, that was simpler than I'd thought," I murmured, awed, and a little disappointed once the familiar (how was it familiar?) warmth left me. "Though maybe it'll only activate when I'm truly desperate," I pondered. I didn't have a real strong need to activate it right now; it had been more for the sake of curiosity if anything.

Carefully, I slipped my glove back on, a little more reassured now. I couldn't believe that the simple act of trying to connect and communicate with the Innocence had been so effective; it had been a part of me for as long as I could remember, but I'd never felt anything like that before! Even so, I refrained from trying to activate it as a weapon; for one, I didn't want it to rip through the dress Anita had let me borrow. Plus, I was out in the open in the middle of the day; no need to attract that sort of attention.

"Hiya there, lass," an old sailor leered in my direction, setting down a wooden crate beside my bench. I wrinkled my nose and tried to discreetly shuffle further away, observing his receding hairline, wrinkled and spotted face, and the missing teeth. And boy did he reek! When was the last time this guy had taken the time to clean himself up?! The air around him was thick with a rotting stench. I refrained from gagging.

"Um, hi…" I muttered with distaste, hopping to my feet and attempting to make my escape. A large, filthy hand seized my wrist.

"Not so fast there, lassie—"

I shrieked. Long and hard. I kept it up for a good ten seconds before the old guy thought to slam his other hand atop my mouth in an attempt to shut me up. I bit him—and instantly regretted it! Ugh! Where had his hands been?! That was disgusting! Without remorse, I spat a glob of saliva at his feet.

"Damn it!" he growled, grabbing me by the hair this time.

I shrieked again. A lot louder and shriller.

"What the hell?!" a familiar voice demanded, stalking over into our direction.

"Cross!" I sighed in relief, when suddenly the old guy was wrenched away from me, forcing him to release me, much to my relief. Once I was out of his grip I watched stunned as Cross, without remorse, knocked him out with a single punch to the face.

"Damn it, Allen! What were you doing?!" Cross suddenly demanded and turned to me with a heated glare. He did a bit of a double-take though, once he got a better view of me; I'd forgotten I better resembled a girl after Anita's work. His gaze softened and he simply rubbed his face with an exasperated sigh as he said, "I thought I told you to stay with Anita…"

"Um, yeah, sorry about that," I replied sheepishly, rubbing my wrists. "But everyone was asleep and I needed some fresh air. I didn't think I'd get assaulted in the middle of the beach, though!"

"And that's exactly why I told you to stay with her! People around here aren't _nice_ ; especially to defenseless, little girls!" Cross scolded me, single eye narrowed into an irritated glare. "You have a better chance under Anita's protection, so I don't want you wondering around by yourself again!"

Naturally, I wanted to argue in my defense, but there was a larger part of me that was utterly amused by this whole scenario, because surely Cross would have _never_ reacted like this with the original, male-Allen! Anita had been right! And I secretly found it cute that Cross was trying to be more careful with me just because I was a girl. So, I decided to cut him some slack, and to avoid having him be witness to my amused smile, I simply turned and begin to walk down the pathway. Once I heard him follow after me, I said, "Of course, I'm sorry for disobeying you, General Cross."

I think my formality made him feel a bit better, but from my peripherals, I noticed him eyeing me, as if stunned that I hadn't put up an argument. But eventually he just shrugged it off, and when it appeared that he wouldn't say more, I prompted him, "So what is it that you've been doing all night?"

Luckily, he seemed more willing to speak freely now that we were alone. "Like I told you before, I was speaking with an old contact of mine. It was fortunate that we arrived as soon as we did, as he headed for overseas today. It's how I found you just now; I was over at the docks with him." I gazed up at him and nodded, and he continued, "Anyway, I just needed to borrow a couple of books from him. With Neah's cooperation, I've fleshed out some of my plans and have been figuring out some of the details, and realized that the Magyk I'll be performing is a bit complicated, even for someone of my caliber. He didn't have everything I need, just this," he indicated, holding up a frayed, old book with his other hand, "But I could probably figure out the rest for myself."

"Err, wow," I remarked, a little bug-eyed. "What _sort_ of Magyk?"

"I'm trying to see how long I can erect a fortification shield," Cross explained nonchalantly, as if it were everyday talk. "We'll eventually need it once Neah is ready to posses your body. It'll keep the Earl from immediately sensing you and arriving to our location. But after that, with Neah's help, it'll be a convenient way for you to make your way into the Earl's ranks."

"Whoa, wait! You're actually going with that idea?!" I demanded, craning my head to gape at him, astonished. This was all becoming a little too much for me.

Cross momentarily paused to eye me with scrutiny, before continuing, "Yes, I am. Neah was originally supposed to be our secret weapon, but after Mana found you in that circus, I realized he's a lot more suspicious than we thought."

"And _that's_ how you're planning to fix it?!" I practically shouted. "By handing me right over to him!"

Cross shrugged. "Sure, because if you then fake your death, he'll think you're out of the picture for good." He said it so firmly, as if he truly believed it were that simple! But I was beginning to believe that this man, this so-called general, was simply off his rocker!

" _Fake_ my death?!" I sneered, trying to hide my true fear beneath false bravado. "You know, when I suggested that, I never believed for one second that you'd take me seriously! I mean, at this point, you might as well take me out of the game, because I doubt that I'll last for one second beneath the thumb of the Earl! Actually no, it's probably Road that scares the shit out of me the most! No, Cross, I won't _need_ to fake my death, because I'll probably be a good six feet under before I even try to bluff my way in!"

By the end of my rant I was breathing quite harshly, and I'm sure my face was probably a bright cherry red. Cross didn't seem the least bit deterred. He simply replied, "And that's where Neah comes in."

Before I realized it, I'd burst into laughter (and I think I even sounded a bit insane). "Yeah!" I gasped between giggles, "I'm sure they'll welcome the traitor with completely open arms!"

"Maybe they won't," Cross shrugged, "But all you truly need is the Earl's backing. Mana still holds a deep love for his brother that will never really go away. And if we play up the fact that Neah has reincarnated by natural means, and remembers nothing, then he'll certainly be welcomed back."

Nervously, I gripped at the fabric of my dress, fisting my hands into it. "O-of course…"

For a moment, Cross eyed me quietly. Eventually, he asked, "Would you like to back out? When I made this plan, I assumed I had your full cooperation, but if not—"

"No!" I shouted abruptly, and then scrambled to say, "I mean, you do! I-I'll do it!" What on earth was I saying?! Why was I agreeing to this crazy and awful plan?! It was stupid, so utterly stupid, but I now I couldn't take it back and—

"Alright then," Cross nodded, and then said, "But I think that enough of this talk for now."

"Huh? Why?!" I demanded. I'd just agreed to some insane, far-fetched plan! He couldn't obscure the details now! I needed to know _everything_ —

"Because there's an Akuma that's been following us for the past five minutes, and I'd like to see how you fair against it," Cross replied nonchalantly, suddenly stepping away from me, and I instantly whirled around with a choked gasp. It took me a moment to spot the aging woman by the shadows, but when our eyes made contact, she offered me a sincere smile.

"Ah, young lady—"

"Innocence activate!" I shouted distraughtly, with a bit of a squeak. The woman hadn't even fully transformed before I was hacking at her with my enormous claw—oh my gosh, where had that thing even come from?! Ahh! What if I was just killing an innocence woman—but no! She'd erupted into ashes! And my claw was gone…?! What…?

"Oh my goodness," I hiccupped, and I belatedly noticed that I was crying.

"Well, if anything, that was a bit enthusiastic," Cross remarked dryly, appearing at my side once more. And once he took a look at me, he frantically said, "Ah, shit! Don't cry! You're not even hurt! It's okay!"

"B-but!" I choked on the single word as another sob worked its way up. I was trembling uncontrollably and I felt so mortified to find that I was now sobbing hysterically. "T-the woman—a-and she was a demon—I-I killed it!" I blubbered incoherently, making wild hand gestures.

"Right," Cross replied awkwardly, patting me on the head, before reluctantly pulling me into a stiff hug. Immensely grateful, I sunk into his coat, fisting my hands into it and unwillingly to let go. "Err, sorry about that," the redheaded General apologized, much to my shock. "I figured you'd remember enough from before. Didn't expect you to go into shock."

Unable to speak without blubbering, I simply nodded against his coat. He sighed. "Alright, come on, let's get back to Anita's."

Shakily, I stumbled beside him, unwilling to look up or let go. Eventually, he simply gave up and picked me up, much to my mortification.

* * *

"Oh my goodness! Cross! Is she alright?!" Anita demanded once we'd arrived, though I was confused as to why she was awake. "I went to go check on her just now, but she was gone! What happened to her?"

Cross sighed, but my face was still burning red with embarrassment and I pressed it further against his shoulder. "We had a run-in with a Level 1 Akuma. I thought it'd be a good learning experience for her, but she freaked out and once she killed it, she went into shock."

"Cross!" Anita practically shrieked. "Of course, she's only six! What were you thinking?! Oh, give her over to me, would you?"

General Cross was quick to give into her demands (and if I knew him well, probably relieved to do so) and I was too embarrassed to protest, so when I was in her arms, I repeated the motion of pressing my face against her shoulder, feeling quite mortified. "Oh, sweetie," she murmured, rubbing my back soothingly and leading me away from Cross. "How are you doing? Can you speak?" I attempted to, but my voice was too choked up, so I simply shook my head against her shoulder. "I see. Hmm, how does another bath sound? You're very stiff and you need to calm down and relax."

Hesitantly, I nodded against her shoulder, and it wasn't long before we were both sinking into the steaming waters of her expansive baths. It certainly did its job in loosening the tension in my muscles and I definitely felt calmer, if a bit humiliated. "Here you go, honey," Anita murmured, handing a bar of soap, and I gratefully accepted, still avoiding eye contact. But it was nice getting back a little control, as I slowly rubbed the suds along my body. The process was quite soothing.

"Would you like to tell me what happened?" Anita eventually asked softly.

"Um," I hesitated, and then the words tumbled out, "Ah, I'm so sorry! That was so embarrassing! Please forgive me!"

Anita tilted her head forward in a thoughtful manner, and then reached out to take my hands in hers. "Allen, please look at me in the eyes," she pleaded, and after a hesitant moment, I turned and gazed into her expressive, dark eyes. "There's no need to be ashamed from feeling scared. Especially for someone who's so young! Allen, you certainly have a dark road ahead of you, but I am sure that with Cross' guidance you'll turn out alright. And I hope you don't hold a grudge against him for this mistake."

I blinked up at her, and then smiled, shrugging slightly. "I'm not mad at him, really. Mostly just at myself, for reacting the way I did." I slumped down. "I _knew_ it was coming," I grumbled.

Anita beamed and squeezed my hands. "I am glad you seem okay. I was worried, but it seems you're coping better than I expected."

"Yeah, um, do you still want to know what happened?" I offered, shifting in the warm water.

"If it's okay with you," Anita nodded, her smile encouraging. "I would appreciate it."

I smiled slightly at her, before it dimmed once I explained, "It's as Cross said. I freaked out; he pointed out an Akuma that was following us and wanted me to fight it. I was so scared and I kind of just activated my Innocence—it was this _huge_ claw, and I kind of just attacked her without even looking. I was just so petrified! And oh my gosh, I ruined your dress didn't I?! I didn't even think to check—"

"Allen!" Anita caught my attention, and I quieted as she grabbed my shoulders and rubbed them in a soothing manner. "It's okay! My dress appeared fine and fully intact to me."

"O-oh," I stammered. I guess if the original Allen's clothes had managed to stay fully intact, so should mine… That's it, I think I was officially losing it.

"Come here," Anita murmured, pulling me to her side and pressing her cheek atop my head. I refrained from pointing out that I found this a little awkward considering we were both naked, but she probably didn't find it so, since I was merely six. Plus, Asian culture and all that. "I'll talk with Cross, okay? Have him take it a little easier on you. How does that sound?"

"Extremely relieving," I smiled, sinking into her side.

"Yeah, I thought so," she giggled, before sighing a bit dreamily. "Sometimes, I wish I could also travel with the General around the world. It sounds so romantic."

An image of dirty bars and crappy inns popped into my head. I huffed. "Trust me, it's not as great as you make it sound."

She laughed again. "Maybe. But because I know it'll never happen, I enjoy imagining the most brilliant scenarios. It makes General Cross seem all that much more desirable. Pity it can't be so."

I shrugged. "I've only been with him for a week, but if we ever return, I'll be sure to tell you all about it."

"That's be nice," she hummed with a contented smile. "Or, we would just write letters to each other. That'd be nice too."

I smiled at the idea. "Yeah, it would."

* * *

 **A/N:** So, is it cool with you guys if I do a time skip for the next chapter? It won't be a massive jump; just a little over a year. And we'll have some of our favorite canon characters making cameos! Can anyone guess who?(;

Anyway, review and let me know your thoughts on this chapter!(:


	5. Childish Encounters

**A/N:** And I'm back for yet another chapter.(: Glad you guys liked the last one, and thank you so much to **Guest** , **xenocanaan** , **PiaWithPie** , **Lena-luvs-cats** , **lizy2000** , and **Tzipporrah** for all being kind enough to leave reviews!^-^ As always, love hearing from you guys! Please enjoy!

* * *

 **Disclaimer** **:** No, but I look forward to the day I publish my own works and others have to disclaim _my_ stuff. It'll be sweet, sweet revenge! *insert evil cackle*

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Chapter 5

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 **Time Frame —** **Morning of April 16th, 1889**

* * *

 **—1st Person POV—**

My lips curled up into a satisfied smirk, completely shattering my poker face as I set my cards down before the group of hard-faced of men, declaring, "Royal Straight Flush! Aha! Take that you boneheads!" I cackled gleefully, sweeping up the piles of cash heaped upon the center of the table. Predictably, they rose in a sweeping roar of accusations, becoming additionally enraged when I simply laughed and childishly stuck my tongue out. It was all the more satisfying knowing that _they_ knew they couldn't do crap about it. They'd _seen_ me come in with General Cross; a little girl like me was certainly not intimidating, but the General undoubtedly was! They _knew_ they couldn't touch me. The sadistic side of me was satisfied being able to take their money when they could do nothing about it. Suckers!

"So!" I begin with a toothy grin. "Who wants to go another round?"

"Fuck you!" one of them growled, and one by one they spat curses at me, unceremoniously tossing their cards at me and stalking out of the bar with the little dignity they had left. Despite the cards that had slightly smacked me across the face before fluttering to the ground, my smirk was still in place, though now more amused than arrogant. With a simple shrug, I swiftly gathered my cards, snapping a rubber band around the pile, before shoving it into the pocket of my coat. I then took my sweet time counting the money, and once I'd done so, I carefully pocketed it before skipping over to the General's side.

"How'd you do?" he asked me blandly.

I beamed. "Pretty well. I've made enough to cover the next week at the inn."

It wouldn't be the first time (nor would it be the last), but I was once again immensely grateful that I was girl. It meant that in the past year I'd been traveling with Cross, he'd never once thrown me at his debt collectors. In fact, he usually just tossed me over his shoulder and booked it. It was by my own choice that I'd decided to learn how to gamble. Since Cross refused to put down the Black Order on his tab (as he didn't want to be tracked down by them), it was more difficult to find places to stay at, and so I used the money I earned to cover our food and inn expenses. I left Cross to deal with all the debts he had from every bar he frequented.

"I'm going to head back to the inn," I added, covering my mouth as it widened into a cat-like yawn. Stretching out my stiff and achy muscles, I said, "I'm feeling a bit dead on my feet already, so I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Alright," Cross conceded. "I probably won't be back till morning. And careful; you make sure to kill any creep that comes your way."

I laughed and waved it off. "Yeah, yeah, okay. See ya!"

Eager to get back to our room and into bed, I didn't waste another second and skipped out of the bar (I didn't have to look back to know that Cross was glaring at anyone that thought to look my way). It was a little eerie, ambling about the darkened streets on my own; the only light source was the occasional street lamp casting long shadows along the cobblestone roads, and though I used to find it a bit daunting, I had long grown used to it. And out of habit, I slipped off the glove from my left hand, simply keeping its deformed appearance hidden in the pocket of my coat. Whether it would be against an Akuma or a random assailant, I was prepared to activate my Innocence weapon at a moment's notice. (I'd had too many close calls to not become paranoid.)

The walk was all of ten minutes, and I could see the inn we were residing in coming into view, just down the street. Involuntarily, I began to relax slightly.

And then a scream shattered the calm silence.

For a moment, I froze—before breaking out into a determined run, feet slapping against the ground, legs thrusting me forward. Breathless; shaking; adrenaline pumping. With a gasp, I skidded to a halt, eyes squinting into the darkness of the alleyway. From my position, I could just make out the silhouettes of a child and a Level 1 Akuma mid-transformation (or at least the was my guess; though the shadows enveloped everything, the snap of an Akuma peeling off its human skin had become all too familiar to my ears).

Gritting my teeth at the sight, I hissed, "Innocence, activate!" The flash of light momentarily blinded me, but I didn't allow it to deter me, and within seconds I had rushed forward and racked my claws in the Akuma's general direction. I smiled in relief as I felt it slicing through my Innocence weapon like butter, before bursting into cinders in a rumbling explosion.

"W-w-what the hell…?!" the boy standing before me squeaked.

I squinted up at him, belatedly realizing that the "child" was in fact taller than me. Though I couldn't make out much more than that; the flare of light from activating my Innocence had cast dots upon my vision, and it didn't help that the alley was practically pitch dark. "Err, hi," I grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of my head, and then belatedly thought to ask, "Are you okay?"

"Um, I-I think so, y-yeah," the boy stammered.

"Heh, well you're not a pile of ashes, so that at least counts for something," I remarked with a bit of a nervous laugh. I couldn't make out his features very well, but I had a feeling he was eyeing me apprehensively, as if _I_ were the insane one. "Um, well, I guess I should get going! Bye!" Without another word, I whirled around and ran off.

"Hey! W-wait up!"

But I didn't. And I think the poor kid was in too much of a shock to chase after me. Sucker.

* * *

The next afternoon found me situated in a secluded table, towards the back corner of the inn; their ground floor doubled as a tavern, and the innkeeper's wife had been kind enough to make me a bit of stew as an early dinner, when she caught sight of me. The place was a bit crowded and rowdy, but lively; the sun hadn't even set, but those that had gotten out of work early were already getting drunk. Exasperated, I rolled my eyes and pushed my empty bowl aside. Pulling up my small satchel from beside me, I spilled its contents upon the table and began what I'd set out to do originally.

Tapping my pen against my lips in thought, I momentarily contemplated my opening words before getting to work. Once I'd started, the words easily spilled out, and with a small grin, my eyes darted once more over the words, rereading my correspondence.

 _Dear Miss Anita,_

 _I hope this letter finds you well. I apologize; it's been a while since I've last written to you, hasn't it? Sorry, it's just been so hectic this past month! It's only now that Master Cross and I have just returned to England and settled for the time being in a small town. We probably won't be here for more than a week though, so when you send your next letter to me, be sure to address it to London!_

 _Anyway, I have to tell you, this past month was absolutely amazing! As you know, this past year I've been training hard with General Cross; I've even defeated my first Level 2 Akuma! It was quite the challenge, but I'm proud that I've gotten so far. Now that my training has improved and it's not as imperative, I decided to take advantage of the fact that General Cross is practically traveling all over the world. Not that he usually cares where we end up (as long as there's a bar to provide alcohol, he's good), but I thought it'd be nice to visit some extraordinary places. It took a little convincing, but after I told him that being in larger cities would probably be easier to hide in than in some small town where he sticks out like a sore thumb, he finally gave in!_

 _And so, we spent a whole month in Paris, France! As expected, it was quite dirty and bit smelly, but it was worth getting to witness the sight of the Eiffel Tower in person; it was magnificent! (I don't know if you've heard of it; after all, its construction only started two years ago, but it just opened up for sighting last month. It's a wrought iron lattice tower standing at almost a thousand feet! Unbelievable, right?) I also visited many other sites, such as The Louvre (a museum), Notre Dame de Paris (a church; stunning architecture), and the Arc de Triomphe (a national monument). I wish I had a camera, so I could've taken pictures to send you! But even that's out of my gambling budget. I did include some rough sketches though! I hope you like them!_

 _It was all very fascinating, but I'm glad to have returned home, where I can actually communicate with people; I did learn a bit of rough French during my time there, but it did get frustrating. And Master Cross certainly wasn't much help when it came to that, even though I'm positive he speaks fluent French. Speaking of General Cross, there's no need to worry about him; he's doing as well as ever. Constantly drinking and evading his debt collectors (it'll definitely be a while before we venture back to Paris). Though I know he misses you; he keeps mentioning wanting to go back to China soon, so I'm sure we'll eventually pop in. (And of course, I certainly miss you as well!)_

 _I think this site-seeing thing might become a tradition though! I've already begun contemplating where I want to go next: Rome, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Dublin, Ireland; and so on, and so forth. I've even brought up the idea of going overseas, to visit North and South America, but I'm not sure I'd succeed in convincing Master Cross of that; he says immigration overseas is a pain the ass, so maybe I'll save that for when I better learn to persuade him (maybe a little help from you would sway him?)._

 _In any case, how have you been doing, Miss Anita? How's Mahoja? I hope you've done more than just spending time cooped up in that brothel trying to keep track of all the girls! You need to get out more, Miss Anita. I know your mother's legacy is very important to you, but you need to learn when to take a break. Go out with the sailors and enjoy an outing on your boat! Have fun so that the next letter you send me will be filled with all the amazing things you've done!_

 _And don't forget, General Cross and I love you very much, Miss Anita!_

 _With much love,  
Allen_

With a contented smile, I folded up the letter and sketches before sealing them up in an envelope. Over time, I'd grown more open with Anita; I'd first been apprehensive of how I should write to her, because I'm certain no seven-year-old could have written a letter such as the one I'd just written, but after demanding more details about everything that I would discuss, the words sort of just spilled out. She never made much mention of it though, which I was grateful for.

I rolled up the remaining parchment and stashed it away, along with my pens, into my small satchel. It was cute little thing made out of beads and leather that Anita had sent to me for my seventh birthday, four months ago. For the life I was living now, I felt quite spoiled by her, and I let her know how embarrassed and thankful I felt (and though it wasn't quite obvious, I felt like all throughout her response, she must have been quietly laughing at my mortification).

Once I was set, I got up and ambled towards the exit.

"Where are you off to now, dear?" Mrs. Ironwood, the innkeeper's wife, asked me as she passed by with stack of plates balancing precariously in her hands.

Waving the letter I gripped in my hand in her direction, I replied, "Just dropping this off at the postal office. Then I'm going to seek out Master Cross; make sure he isn't getting into any more trouble!" What I didn't mention was the fact that I would probably hit another bar for a little more gambling.

"Oh yes, but do be careful! I heard some awful men were chasing him last night," she called, as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Got it, Mrs. Ironwood!" I answered, before ducking out through the doorway. Noticing that the sun was beginning to set, I quickened my pace. And fortunately, I arrived at the post office right before they were about to close for the night. Running over, I waved my letter, calling, "Wait up!"

"Cutting it quite close there, aren't you missy?" the older gentleman shook his head, but fortunately he accepted my letter.

"Thanks, mister!" I saluted him with a cheeky grin, before sauntering off in search of a new bar to loiter. I couldn't very well go back to the same one; the patrons there would recognize me from the previous night and warn the others off. And so, I went looking for a new one; preferably, one on the other side of town. That meant searching by foot, since no decent human being would give a seven-year-old directions to a bar. My physical age had its ups and downs, but it was something I'd learned to live with.

It was about another fifteen minutes later, that I unexpectedly heard someone shout, "It's _you_!"

Curious, I turned to glance around, but I didn't get a chance to do much more than that before I was being tackled down by some other, snot-nosed brat. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" I shouted indignantly, fumbling to toss him off me, but the kid had a vice grip!

"No _way_! I'm not letting you go until you answer my questions! I know it was _you_!" the boy snapped.

Why did his voice sound so familiar? "Eh?! What are you accusing me _of_ , you brat?!" I demanded, teeth gnashing, wriggling within his hold.

" _I don't know_! What are you _guilty_ of?!" he retorted back snidely—why that cheeky little smart mouth!

I huffed, trying to calm myself down. "Huh? Whoever you are, you're being absurd!"

"And you're insane, if you think I'm going to let you go after what happened last night!" he hissed, not budging one bit.

"Okay, okay," I sighed, belatedly recognizing him as the boy that I'd rescued the previous night. "Why don't both of us just cool down, and speak calmly and rationally," I spoke serenely, hoping to get him to relax enough so that I could escape his grip.

The boy seemed to contemplate my words, before asking, "And you won't run away this time?"

"I promise," I insisted, trying to reassure him. Finally— _finally_ he released me, albeit hesitantly. So as not to incur his further wrath, I rose unhurriedly to my feet, though I pointedly rubbed my wrists, irritated. In the dim lighting of the street lamp, I was better able to make out his features this time around. Eyes widening, I couldn't help but gape.

"Um, sorry about that, I guess," he apologized reluctantly, though slightly sheepish, ruffling his hair. "Bit of an overreaction, but after last night, I'm sure you can understand. Anyway, I don't really have a name, but you can call me Bookman Junior."

* * *

"Hey, hey little girl!" a voice obnoxiously broke me out of my daze, a pair of fingers snapping directly before me. With an irritated growl, I viciously slapped their hand away. "Ouch! Sheesh, are you bipolar or something?"

"What? No!" I huffed, arms crossed defensively. But it didn't deter me from my continued observation; I was meeting yet another canon character from the series! And a main one, at that! It was quite extraordinary, being able to witness them in real life. Curiously, I leaned forward, patting Lavi's cheek as if to make sure he was real; the notion was instantly proven when I had my own hand slapped away. "Hey! Hasn't anyone taught you that hitting girls isn't nice?" I demanded.

"No," Lavi deadpanned.

Underneath my breath I grumbled, "Well, _someone_ should have." Shaking the irritating thought away, I then added, "Anyway, nice to meet you, no-name. I'm Allen Walker."

A bit aggravated himself, Lavi huffed, "I _said_ it was Bookman Junior."

"Whatever, book-boy. If you want an explanation, you're going to have to follow me. No way am I going to stick around here during the middle of the night," I remarked, ambling away and heading back towards the inn we were staying at. So much for making more money…

"I said it was _Bookman Junior_ ," he grumbled again, though more to himself this time, seemingly put-out. Either way, he followed after me. It was as we were nearing the inn that he turned to me and demanded, "Why do you keep staring at me? Do I have something on my face?"

Embarrassed at being caught, I blurted out the first thing I could think of: "Um, you're kind of funny looking?" (I tried not to wince when I realized it came out more question-like.)

With a deadpan expression, he replied blandly, "Gee, thanks. It's not like you're so good-looking yourself, little Miss boy-impersonator."

"Hey! I'm pretty cute!" I protested, sticking my tongue out at him for effect. "And I do _not_ look like a boy!" I always made sure to wash my face and brush my hair, which had grown down to my mid-back in the past year (speaking of which, I'd have to cut it soon). There was no way I could resemble a boy _now_.

Lavi scoffed. "What kind of little girl wears trousers and a trench coat? A weird one, if you ask _me_!"

I blanched. Who was _he_ to talk about style?! "Yeah? Says the poncho-freak! And what's up with the stupid scarf? It's too big for someone of _your_ puny size!"

" _Puny_?! You're practically a munchkin compared to me! I bet you need a booster seat to even reach the table, you freaky little shortstack!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do _not_!"

"What on heaven's earth is going on around here?!"

Lavi and I simultaneously jumped, and then turned beat red in reaction to being caught amidst out childish squabble. Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'd sunk so low! I hadn't even realized we'd caught her attention once we entered the inn! Avoiding eye-contact, I mumbled in reply to Mrs. Ironwood's demand, "Um, sorry Missus. Didn't mean to add to the chaos." And by that, I was referring to the patrons that were becoming quite raucous.

Exasperated, Mrs. Ironwood simply shook her head. "Alright, dear. You and your friend go have a seat, and I'll bring out some dinner for the both of you."

Too embarrassed to protest and remind her of the fact that I'd already eaten earlier, I nodded and gave her a meek, "Thanks." Once she rushed off back into the kitchen, I turned and went back to my previous table, pushed up against the back corner of the room, and sat down, Lavi taking a seat across from me. It wasn't until Mrs. Ironwood had been kind enough to serve us dinner, that Lavi and I became comfortable enough to speak once more.

"So, my first question," Lavi began, "What exactly was it that attacked me last night?"

Glancing up at him, I simply replied, "It was a demon disguised as a human; we call them, Akuma." He appeared puzzled, and before he could launch into another round of questions, I asked, "Say, book-boy, has the Bookmen Clan ever told you about the Holy War? Or at least, showed you their archives on it?"

Lavi came to a sudden halt, eyeing me suspiciously. "How do you know of my clan?"

"It's not like they're a secret from us," I scoffed, "After all, they were involved in recording our last war. From the _opposing_ side."

His single, forest green eye narrowed. "I see. And no, the old man has never spoken to me of previous recordings. We're constantly traveling around, recording even more wars caused by humankind, so we rarely every return back to the Bookmen Clan Headquarters. If you're telling the truth though, then that's where any of the archives of the last Holy War would be kept."

"Hmm. That makes me curious," I murmured. "Master rarely speaks of what happened in the last war, inquisitive as I am. It'd be nice if I could get a hold of those archives." Noticing that he was now blatantly glaring at me, I rolled my eyes. "Sheesh, calm down. I wasn't implying anything. In any case, both wars have the same, basic foundation. Since, like you mentioned, you're unlikely to be returning to your headquarters soon, would you like me to tell you about it?"

Nothing could catch the attention of a Bookman like the idea of learning something new. So it was an enraptured Bookman Junior that I had on my hands as I explained the basics of the Millenium Earl, the creation of Akuma, the Noah Clan, the Black Order, the Exorcists, and Innocence. At some point, I think I even threw in a little tidbit about the Second Exorcist Project. Once I'd described the critical points, Lavi practically launched into a monologue. In a daze, I missed most of his theoretical musings and the detailed questions, and by the time he'd finished and was gazing at me expectantly, I simply glanced down at his hardly touched food, and asked, "Are you going to finish that?"

With a grimace, he pushed the plate in my direction and grumbled, "You didn't hear anything I just said, did you?"

Digging in with gusto, I shrugged and mumbled out between bites of food, "I'm smarter than your average seven-year-old, but you can't throw everything at me at once and expect my full comprehension."

Lavi hummed noncommittally, his gaze critical. He then remarked, "You have quite the appetite for someone your size."

"Like I said before, my Innocence weapon is a Parasitic Type. Requires a lot of energy, so I have to constantly eat," I explained. Internally, I contemplated if the original Allen just had a major love of food, because in all of my time, I don't think I'd ever consumed the amount of food he'd been depicted to in one sitting. Maybe it just came with age. "Anyway," I piped up, as I scraped up the last of the food, "I have a proposition."

"Hmm? What kind of proposition?" Lavi asked, his slouched posture seeming apathetic, though the curious glint in his single eye told me otherwise.

I grinned. "I propose that while you're out doing your Bookman thing, and I'm out doing my Exorcist thing, we exchange letters! And for every letter you send me, I will answer one of your questions."

Appearing conflicted, Lavi pursed his lips in thought. "… I don't know. How is it going to work if we're both constantly traveling around?"

"The same way Miss Anita is able to send letters to me," I replied with a shrug, and before he could ask about Anita, I moved on to explain, "You see, right before I send my letter to you, I'll let you know in which location I'll be in, in the next few weeks, and I'll keep an eye out around the postal offices. If for some reason we need to make a quick getaway, I'll just send you another letter, letting you know."

"Hmm, I _guess_ it could work," Lavi admitted reluctantly. His fingers drummed against the table in thought, and he finally gave in, "Alright, I'll do it. But for _two_ questions each."

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, yeah." And then added with a bright beam, "I can't wait to become friends with you, my dear Bookman!"

" _Eh_?! Who said anything about _friendship_?!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Haha, oh Lavi.(x And a gold star to **Tzipporrah** for correctly guessing that she would be meeting Lavi!(:

So, you can all expect another time skip for the next chapter; it should be another year. And if you guys would like, I'll even toss in a letter from Lavi!(; In any case, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Please review!^-^


	6. Disclaimer of Friendship

**A/N:** Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took a little longer to write. For while, I was just in one of those moods where I refused to write anything, and once I did start, the process was a bit slow-going. (As in, I wrote this chapter over the course of this past week.) Anyway, a big thanks to **xenocanaan** , **Ennael** , **Red raspberries** , **Lena-luvs-cats** , **lizy2000** , **Guest** , and **PiaWithPie** for all reviewing!(:

And in honor of the requests from **xenocanaan** , **Ennael** , and **PiaWithPie** , I present you with this chapter! Hope you all enjoy!^-^

* * *

 **Disclaimer** **:** No!

* * *

Chapter 6

* * *

 **Time Frame —** **Morning of March 21st, 1890**

* * *

 **—1st Person POV—**

Another year had elapsed since I'd befriended the Bookman Junior. Other than exchanging letters with him and Anita, and convincing General Cross to visit other sites like I'd mention to Anita in a previous letter (so far, we'd lived in both Rome and Barcelona), nothing particularly significant had occurred. Just more gambling, battling Akuma, and escaping debt collectors; I had this lifestyle perfected down to a T. Even Neah hadn't so much as peeped an eye open (not that I was complaining). But it was once we returned to England that Cross and I had reached a relatively large township; we were ambling around, half patrolling, half seeking out an inn, when the General unexpectedly seized me and yanked us both into the shadows of an alleyway.

"It's more debt collectors, isn't it?!" I hissed, eyes narrowed in annoyance. " _Really_ , Cross? I thought you said you hadn't ventured into this area for _years_!"

"It's not debt collectors, it's worse!" Cross groaned, hand rubbing at his face tiredly, curses being muttered under his breath. Curious, I edged forward (surprisingly, he didn't stop me), and peeked around the alley. My silver eyes roved along the semi-crowded roads, wondering what could have him even more freaked out than debt collectors. And it was once my eyes landed on them, that my hand flew up to muffle my laughter. Oh. My. Gosh.

"Okay, okay, I see your point," I conceded, my grin a little too wide. I was practically bubbling up with excitement! This was my chance! Ooh, this was going to be so good. "This is what we're going to do: I'm going to cause a distraction and point them in the opposite direction, and then you'll take your chance and run. We'll rendezvous at the next town, north of here. Sound good?"

"Yes, _please_ ," Cross instantly nodded in agreement, relieved.

I stepped forward, getting ready to venture into the mid-morning crowd and cause a scene. "Once they start running in the opposite direction, that'll be your cue!" I called, before casually strolling out, eyes keenly observing my surroundings. The duo I was meant to distract was on the other side of the street, hardly visible through the loitering townspeople. Good; this could possibly work. Readying myself, I took a few steps back—

Then launched myself through the crowds, roughly shoving aside anyone who got in my way, and generally attracting attention. Once I'd done so, I frantically began to shout, "Help! Help! Please! Someone!"

 _Hook, line, and sinker,_ I thought quite deviously, as General Tiedoll, and his 11-year-old apprentice, Kanda Yuu, swooped into the rescue. Without an ounce of shame, I threw myself at the Japanese boy, practically wailing. "Help! There are demons haunting the orphanage! I swear; you must believe me! Help me!"

"I would, if you'd just _let go_ ," Kanda snarled, viciously aiming to shake me off. But I held on like a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of a shoe.

"No, Yuu!" General Tiedoll, ever the kind man, placed a hand upon each of our shoulders, gazing down at us with a grave expression. "You must watch the girl; I'll take care of it. My dear, where is the orphanage located?"

Forcing my eyes to tear up, I blubbered, "O-on the other side of town. B-but no one else will believe me!"

"Do not worry any longer. I shall take care of it!" the General declared with fervor, before hurrying off.

Ha! Sucker! I didn't even know if there _was_ an orphanage in town. I'd sent the poor man on a wild goose chase! (I tried to ignore the guilt gnawing at me, excusing it with the fact that it was for a good cause! Or at least, that's what I fooled myself into believing…)

Keeping up the act of scared little girl, I gazed up at Kanda, my hands still gripping his arms with an unshakable force. "I-is he going to be okay?" I stammered, my grip tightening.

His slanted eyes narrowed further in annoyance, and he huffed, "Yes, and I'd make sure of it, if you _released_ me."

"B-but… the man said you had to watch me," I remarked with a pout, before blowing out an irritated sigh of my own. So rather, I straightened up and began to drag him off. "Come on. I haven't had breakfast yet; let's get something to eat." Kanda's scowl deepened, but I was surprised to find that he didn't protest (maybe it had something to do with my iron grip). Impatient, I stopped at the nearest café and hauled him inside, where he reluctantly stayed put in the seat I'd shoved him into. "You want to get anything?" I asked, though I was right in my prediction when I noticed him simply glaring at me. I shrugged and said cheekily, "Suit yourself."

Throughout it all, he remained stubbornly silently. Even when I "accidentally" spilled water onto the poor kid. "You need to lighten up, dude," I huffed, crossing my arms and leaning back against my chair, stacks of plates with mere crumbs dusted upon them shoved to the side.

"Can I _go_ now?" he demanded petulantly.

I was amazed he was even asking, but gladly took advantage of the fact. "Um, _no_. I need something first." If I weren't a girl, I'm sure he would have throttled me by now. As it was, he simply gritted his teeth; not that I took much note of it as I leaned over and dug through my satchel, until I triumphantly plucked out a crinkled envelope. Digging the letter out from within, my eyes darted over the blocky, concise words, "Hey, Yuu—"

"It's Kanda," he grounded out. I shrugged; it's what General Tiedoll had referred to him as. I wouldn't bring needless suspicion upon myself.

"Right, Kanda," I conceded with a pointed eye roll. "Anyway, do you know how…" I paused and glanced down at the letter, before picking up where I'd left off, "… the hierarchy at the Black Order works? I know that Central is supposed to act as the liaison between the Vatican and the Black Order through their ties with the Great Generals, but… who _are_ the Great Generals? Ugh! Leave it to Lavi to ask all the hard questions!" My features curled into an ugly expression, irritation becoming visible.

Strangely enough, I found the chibi-fied Kanda currently gaping at me kind of adorable.

But Lavi would kill me if I didn't find an acceptable answer, so in spite of bringing him out of his stupor, I prompted Kanda, "Well?"

His mouth snapped shut with an audible click. "How do you know about us?"

"Funny, that's exactly what Lavi asked me when I first met him," I admitted with a laugh, quieting slightly when he glared once more. I huffed. "Chill. I'm an Exorcist too!" In order to prove it, I shook off my left glove and discreetly showed him the Innocence Crystal gleaming atop my hand, before snapping the fabric back on. "See?"

"Then why…?"

I shrugged. "I was just curious. I've never even been to the Black Order, let alone met any Exorcists my age!"—excluding Lavi—"So I sent the General you were with on a wild goose chase. I just wanted to meet you." I offered him my first, genuine smile. "You're pretty grumpy, but beggars can't be choosers~."

"… You do realize I am now obligated to bring you back to the Black Order?" Kanda replied, lips pursed.

My smile widened into a grin. "Can you keep a secret?" I didn't wait for his response before leaning forward and mock whispering, "I'm actually training under a General myself! And if you can believe it, it's General Cross!"

Kanda narrowed his eyes. "Impossible. General Cross hasn't reported to Headquarters in over two years. He's thought to be dead."

Huh. That was around the time I began to travel with him… I shrugged. "Well, it's true. But you can't tell anyone about us, okay?"

"And why should I keep it a secret?" Kanda demanded.

I tossed him an unimpressed gaze. "… And _why_ on earth would you want to rat me out to any of the assholes at the Black Order…?"

"… Good point," he grumbled.

"Aha! I knew this would be the beginning of a beautiful friendship!" I beamed. "… Then again, that's what I said about Lavi, but he still refuses to acknowledge any sort of attachment between us. That inconsiderate little—"

"Who's Lavi?" Kanda demanded.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sure you'll eventually meet him down the road! Speaking of which, you never did answer my question," I pointed out, and then repeated it when all I received was a blank stare.

"The Great Generals?" Kanda repeated, eyebrows raised, before his expression shifted back into its irritated state. "Oh. That's classified."

" _Eh_?!"

"As far as I know, only the Supervisor knows anything about them," Kanda elaborated, seemingly bored and displeased all in one.

"Well that's crap," I muttered under my breath, before conveniently catching sight of General Tiedoll ambling further down the street (it was for this reason that I'd sat near the windows). "Uh oh! That's my cue to leave!" Before anything else could be said, I snatched my stuff and hurried towards the back door, ignoring the workers' protests.

"Oi, beanspout! What about the bill?!" Kanda shouted after me.

"Thanks for offering! You're such a good friend!" I called back cheekily, before I stumbled out into the alleyway beside the café, the door shutting and taking all its noise with it.

And was I ashamed of picking up on Cross' habit of acquiring debts?

Not at all.

* * *

 **Time Frame — Night of June 15th, 1890**

* * *

 _"Whoa, it's been a while," I murmured to myself, rubbing at my eyes and trying to orientate myself, rising onto unsteady legs. Once I was able to relax, I regarded my surroundings, taking note that nothing had changed since I'd last been here. The sky was still a stunning navy blue with smatterings of stars hemming along the enormous waning moon; snow still drifted gently along, landing among the pale, gaunt trees and brick path; and the lake… I frowned slightly, leaning closer and keenly observing the additional threads of color weaving throughout the still waters. There were a lot more than the last time I'd been here, but still insufficient enough to create a whole picture._

 _I took a step back. "Better not to dwell on it," I muttered, turning my back on the waters, trying to shake off the horrid images that Allen himself had been forced to witness on that lake. All I could do was pray that it wouldn't be the same for me. So I began to walk down the brick path, straightening my clothes and hair (rather than the scruffy clothes that'd been conjured with me the first time around, I now appeared to be clothed in my favorite blouse and trousers, along with my gloves and bulky boots)._

 _And rather than coming across a comatose Neah, it appeared that for once, he was the one awake and awaiting my presence. "It was about time," I muttered under my breath, and offered him a curious gaze as I strolled forward, coming to a stop before him. But… he seemed frozen in some sort of stunned stupor. (I ignored the temptation of snapping my fingers in his face.) His sunlit eyes were locked onto me, unmoving, and it was beginning to make me slightly nervous. I fidgeted slightly, and tucked an annoying, errant strand of hair behind my ear (by now, my hair had grown ridiculously long)._

 _"What?!" I finally snapped, my irritation getting the better of me._

 _Neah blinked, as if abruptly shaken from his thoughts. "Um, Allen, why do you look like a girl…?"_

 _"Um, what…?" I blinked. I guess the blouse and long hair were kind of girly, but… "I_ am _a girl."_

 _He blinked. I blinked. Which was followed by a staring contest. He ended up blinking first. (Ha!) With a huff, I crossed my arms and quirked and eyebrow. "Is there a problem with this? Haven't I always been a girl?" (Obviously I knew the answer to that, but that hadn't been me, so I sure as heck wasn't going to pretend I'd been a boy at any point in my life.)_

 _Unlike Cross, he was rather blunt when he blandly retorted, "No."_

 _(Well, that had been unexpected.)_

 _"Oh…" What was I supposed to say to that? So, I just shrugged and remarked with a snort, "Pfft, I gave that up years ago, so don't expect me to apologize."_

 _Neah went bug-eyed._

 _I held my hands up in a placating manner. "_ Joking _! Seriously, I have_ no _recollection of ever being male, so please, can we_ just _pretend that was never me?" I pleaded, gaze slightly desperate._

 _Appearing uncomfortable, he nodded stiffly, avoiding my gaze. "Fine." In fact, he avoided even looking in my general direction… Was the idea really so bad? Cross hadn't reacted that badly! It's not like Neah had to—_

 _It was my turn to go bug-eyed. "O-oh," I squeaked, frozen with the sudden realization that… that… "I-I'm sorry…?" I stammered, confused as to whether I should be apologizing. "Um, I mean, not that I would change anything about myself, but um, you know, I didn't think about the fact that you, erm…" I trailed off awkwardly, hands fidgety and rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet. Neah nodded stiffly in return, and I blurted out, "Sorry for making you uncomfortable!"_

 _Because I'd forgotten that Neah (who I'm pretty sure still had a male mindset) would have no choice but to take over_ my _body, which was of the female variety… oops…_

 _"Um, just don't be a pervert about it, okay?" I added with a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of my head._

 _"E-excuse me?!" Neah demanded, head whirling back to face me, amber eyes smoldering and heated with anger. "Who do you take me for?!_ Cross _?!"_

 _"Eww," I wrinkled my nose, and defensively retorted, "It's not like I remember anything about you, okay?! All I see is a 16-year-old boy! Can you blame me for wanting to set up some boundaries? And yes, I_ know _I don't have anything going for me at the moment," I indicated my flat chest, and continued, "But I'm only eight at this point! I'll get older, and when the time comes…" I trailed off uncertainly, trying to hold back a shudder._

 _Neah turned a bit green. "Ugh, after this conversation, whatever desire I had of completely taking over your body has been officially crushed."_

 _My eyes narrowed into a pointed glare, arms crossing and posture becoming rigid. "… I thought you said you were willing to go along with our plans…"_

 _Neah wilted into the personification of his weary thoughts, and if it weren't for the (now brittle) chains still binding him down, I was sure he'd be rubbing at his face tiredly. "It's not that simple," he admitted quietly, "I've recollected most of my memories." His eyes darkened, narrowing into a sinister gaze. I glanced away apprehensively, but he didn't take much note as he continued, "The rage is almost all-consuming, and if it continues as so, I may just lose all self-control."_

 _My mouth suddenly felt dry. Licking my lips, I stammered, "I-I see."_

 _"But," he muttered, head hanging, exhausted, "And no offense, but I'm repulsed at the idea of possessing a different gendered body. Of course, it doesn't soothe my fury. It's just another addition to the list of reasons why I need to oppress this anger."_

 _I frowned, and cleared my throat before replying, "I'm no expert, but you're probably going about this the wrong way. Oppressing your anger… that only guarantees the eventual detonation of your rage, and when that happens, not a single shred of control will remain…"_

 _"And? What do you suggest?" Neah asked dryly._

 _"Be rational," I stated simply after a moment of thought, and then elaborated, "Think of every single reason as to why you_ need _to wait. No matter how small or insignificant it may seem, just keep piling them on. And go over them; again and again. Don't forget a single reason, especially the closer we get to the deadline. Think of true and reasonable arguments that will hold you back. But only doing that won't abate your anger; so use it as a fuel. Be wise and plan how you can successfully reach your goals. Just… don't be stupid." I smiled sheepishly. My speech had started out pretty well, though it ended weak and kind of blunt. Oh well, I tried._

 _Fortunately, Neah nodded in agreement, expression thoughtful. "Yes… I think I could try that."_

 _"Awesome," I beamed, giving him a thumbs up. "_ Anyway _, it_ was _you who called me here, right? What is it you originally needed to discuss?"_

 _Caught off guard, Neah blinked and nodded. "Right, I'd almost forgotten," he muttered to himself, before shaking his head. "Sorry, everything's been kind of hazy and I was trying to figure out when it was the last time you'd been here?"_

 _"Oh? Is that all?" I shrugged. "It's been like two years, I think."_

 _"T-two years?! I haven't woken up in that long?!" he demanded, a little freaked out._

 _"Um, I don't think your recovery is anything to joke about. Waking you up the first time around may have sped it up, but that's only because I made you aware of it. Forcing your continued awakenings afterwards must have seriously worn you out because I haven't heard anything from you in these past few years. I_ did _think about trying to wake you up at times, but Cross warned me against it," I explained patiently._

 _"And I'm still incredibly exhausted," Neah admitted with a sigh. "Before I'm out of it once more, can you at least tell me what Cross and you are planning concerning the Noah?"_

 _I tilted my head in thought. "Actually, we haven't discussed it in quite a while… But I'll skim on the details for now. Basically, once I'm forced to go through the Noah transformation, Mana will know you've awakened within me. Cross will start out by erecting a magyk barrier around me, to at least keep him in the dark for a good while, but since he can't keep me hidden forever, he's choosing to take advantage of it and just have me infiltrate the Noah."_

 _Neah grimaced. "I see."_

 _I cringed slightly. "Yeah, don't think I'm so excited about it myself, but we don't really have much of a choice. Eventually though, Cross wants me to fake my death to escape without too much collateral damage."_

 _At this point, Neah's features had frozen into a deadpanned expression. "Is that a_ joke _?" I shook my head. "Oh hell! I_ know _Cross isn't this stupid! He should_ know _that faking a Noah's death is impossible! We all have a connection to each member of the Clan that can only be severed by_ death _!"_

 _With a frown, I briefly recalled the tears shed by Road and the others when Skinn had been killed. "You're right… Do you think Cross could somehow fake a severed connection with his voodoo crap?"_

 _Neah snorted. "Who knows, but I wouldn't put it past him."_

 _I offered him a weak smile. "Heh, yeah…" And as an afterthought, I added, "I mean, the man's practically immortalized himself with the stuff. He can do about anything else… right?"_

 _The Noah's lackluster expression was hardly reassuring._

* * *

 **Time Frame — Morning of July 8th, 1890**

* * *

"Hey, Cross," I piped up, leaning around his shoulder as I asked, "Can we make a quick detour to the post office?" I was forced to ask this because it wasn't by my own two legs that I was making headway; basically, Cross was giving me a piggyback ride. We were just returning to the inn from a grueling training session, and though I normally escaped these endeavors with a good number of bruises and scrapes, this time, I'd been a little too reckless, which had resulted in a sprained ankle. By all accounts, I was lucky I hadn't broken anything.

"Hm, you think Anita's written already?" Cross remarked, though he didn't wait for my response as he abruptly turned to backtrack to where the post office was.

I nodded against his shoulder. "Among others." Now that I thought about it, I'd never really told Cross about writing to Lavi, even though it'd been over a year since we'd begun to correspond. Most of my encounters with Cross consisted of the occasional training session and me nagging him about his drunken behaviors. From the hazy memories of my previous life, I was completely positive that I'd never had to deal with a drunk before, and I hated having to put up with it. And it certainly didn't make him anymore agreeable when he tried bringing women into our room and I'd instantly kick them out. (I wouldn't be surprised if he secretly hated me, but I was having none of it.)

Unexpectedly, it wasn't two letters that were found under my name, but _three_! Greedily, I snatched them from Cross' hand before he could even think to glance at them, and shifting through them, I found that one of them was from Kanda, much to my delight. "He actually wrote back!" I squealed. (A similar reaction to the one I'd had when I received my first letter from Lavi.)

Impatiently, I dug his letter out and predictably, it wasn't too wordy, but it was _something_. His letter appeared as this:

 _Beansprout,_

 _Lenalee found your letter after snooping through my belongings, and forced me to write a reply. I don't do letters, but she's currently standing over my shoulder with a mean glare. Anyhow, I expect a repayment for your ridiculous eating habits. And Lenalee is making me write that I am doing just fine and look forward to your reply, even though I truly don't._

 _Please keep your friendship to yourself,  
Kanda_

 _P.S. Hello! This is Lenalee! Sorry about Kanda's grouchy nature, but please don't let it offend you. You sound like an amazing friend, and I believe Kanda needs more people like you in his life. Please write back! And thank you!_

I smothered a laugh, pleased that Lenalee had meddled. Now I could just double dip and write to the both of them! Oh, this would be so fun!

"Who's Ezra?" Cross suddenly broke through my thoughts with his demand.

"Eh?" I blinked up, and belatedly noticed that he'd released my uninjured leg in order to snatch my other two letters up. (With him giving me a piggyback ride, and me using one hand to read through Kanda's letter, it would have been easy for him to seize the other two letters clasped within my other hand, as that arm had been wrapped around his neck.) After a moment of thought, I bluntly replied, "Oh? You must mean Lavi. He's a Bookman Apprentice, so he's always going around changing names, and that's probably his current one." If I remembered correctly, so far he'd gone from Luke to Hanon to Asher. And now, he was Ezra.

"A Bookman, huh? Where'd you come across one of those?" the General inquired curiously.

With a slight shrug, I explained, "Saved him from a Level 1 Akuma one night, over a year ago. He managed to track me down and demanded an explanation, and since I figured the Clan had already been involved in the last Holy War, it wouldn't hurt to tell him about our affairs considering they probably already have it archived. But then, typical Bookman style, he tried getting into detail, so I just coerced him into exchanging letters with me."

"How come you never made mention of this before?" he asked.

"Never really thought to, since it was more of a personal experiment of mine," I answered briefly with a sheepish smile.

Cross hummed in reply and then requested, "Mind if I read it?"

"Sure, I can read it over your shoulder!" I nodded, moving to lean around his shoulder once more. Lavi's letter read as this:

 _Shortstack,_

 _Long time no write! As you might've been able to tell by the new name and return address, the old panda and I have moved on to recording a new war. And as far as wars go, this one is pretty pathetic. Really, it shouldn't really even be considered as such, but we're still required to do the recordings for the Clan. Anyway, we're currently in Egypt; the British troops are occupying Cairo and turning Egypt into a British "protectorate". Yeah right, tell that to the raging natives. But I guess it doesn't matter, I'm just an observer._

 _Speaking of which, I don't believe we'll ever be of the same opinion. But if it makes you feel better, I'm sure most would admire this silly, martyr complex you appear to have. And don't deny it. This whole needing to safe those around you vibe you've got going on practically stamps you down as an eventual martyr. And let me be frank with you when I say that I've seen enough of those to lose count (not that I_ have _lost count; what kind of Bookman would that make me?). But to the point: they've all ended up dead. Every single one them. (Which in retrospect, should be quite obvious because by definition, death is how they officially become a martyr.) I'd say that I'm telling you to quit it with these ideals out of the goodness of my heart, but I'm not. It's just logic. (You should know by now that I am not allowed attachments.)_

 _In any case, I'm getting slightly desperate to return to the Bookman Clan Headquarters, but we're not due to check in for another couple months. It seems lately you've been having more and more trouble answering some of my questions. No offense, you've been very helpful, but knowing how the Bookman are about detail, I'm sure I can find some of those answers in the archives. I don't think I've ever been introduced to such an intricate and horrific war! Not that humans can't already be despicable on their own, but with the added capabilities of magyk and supernatural powers, it's just reached a whole new level. I'm shocked this war can even be_ held _in such secrecy._

 _I feel as if I've exhausted you out of all the information you posses, but I still can't help but continue to discuss more of my questions. One in particular that I've been contemplating lately is the creation behind Akuma. I know you already went into intricate detail of how the process goes, but I want to know of the science (or in this case, dark magyk) that goes behind it all. I recall you once mentioning the Akuma Egg Plant, but how does it all correlate? Is this where all the framework skeletons of the Akuma are made? But why eggs? Or am I taking this too literal? Or is this where the Earl designs how Akuma level up? I feel as if there's more to it than simply killing many people to reach a new level. Hell, for all we know they harvest the souls of the people they kill!_

 _(Maybe you could try asking that General of yours?)_

 _Still not your friend,  
Book-Boy_

I huffed and rolled my eyes. Lavi always signed his letters that way. (I was planning on breaking him out of that stupid habit one day!) But now reading it, I was itching to grab a pen and form my response. It always felt this way with him, not only because of all the interesting questions he brought up, but mostly because of our clashing view points. I was determined in proving him wrong, though part of me wondered why I even had a right to effectively try and ruin the attitude required for his career.

"Hm, interesting brat, but predictable for a Bookman," Cross huffed.

I pursed my lips. "Yeah, tell me about it."

* * *

 **A/N:** Heh, well that was fun to write! Hope you guys liked it! And don't worry, Lavi will eventually warm up to her (if he hasn't already done so secretly). Anyway, I actually didn't get to write everything I wanted to include in this chapter. A week ago, there was this whole conversation I wrote between Allen and Cross and it was _so_ good! Unfortunately, I wrote it in my head. Right before I went to sleep. Predictably, I forgot most of it! -_-" *cries* But if I manage (by some miracle) to remember any of it, I'll try to include it in the next chapter!

Speaking of the next chapter, it shall move onto yet another time skip! And actually, it shall be the last chapter before I move onto the Noah. Which that in itself should be interesting. Unfortunately, that also means I have nothing left of my outline, as I've reached the point where I've run out of specific ideas. Here's to hoping I still have a shred of imagination left for this fandom…

Anyway, please don't forget to review!

 **P.S.** No, I haven't forgotten about the white hair and the scar! That shall come in later!(;


	7. Interlude: Cross

**A/N:** Hello everyone. Sorry about the short length, but this is just a small interlude from Cross' point of view that I wanted to toss in here, so I hope no one finds this too bothersome. And sorry I was gone for three weeks; I've found myself to be greatly unmotivated, so sorry about that. But a big thank you to **Tzipporrah** , **xenocanaan** , **Lena-luvs-cats** , **lizy2000** , and **Guest** for all reviewing! Please enjoy!(:

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 **Disclaimer** **:** It's sad when you can't even own the subject of your own writing, but alas, I'm clearly a masochist for forcing myself to write fanfiction. Doesn't matter. I have no regrets.

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Chapter 7

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 **Time Frame —** **Night of December 28th, 1891**

* * *

 **—3rd Person POV—**

 **~Cross~**

Picking up on yet another muffled and choked sob, General Cross paused in his work, single eye flickering up to observe the duo across the room. He held back a sigh; Anita was stubbornly dabbing Allen's face, and the bandages across the ten-year-old girl's forehead appeared to be swapped with fresh ones. Despite that, blood was already soaking through, in the shape of Stigmata. He'd _told_ her; he knew she was strong, but even this was a bit too much to handle for the young woman. But Anita had been stubborn, suffering along with Allen as the girl went through the painful transformation of becoming a Noah. Anita would have to go soon; the final stage was setting in, and he knew how abrupt the bloodlust could take hold.

"Anita," he murmured as she passed him by, old, bloody bandages held on a tray in her hands, ready to be disposed of. Cross stood from his kneeled position (he'd been tracking the strength of magyk seals responsible for the barrier concealing Allen) and gently rested his hands upon her thin, quivering shoulders. "It's time."

For a moment, she appeared ready to protest, before deflating. "O-of course," she stammered, clearing her throat. Her dark gaze found his as she added, "I left a bag with an extra set of clothes for her beside the bed… P-please take care of her."

Cross nodded gently, caressing the length of her prominent cheeks. "I promise. Now please, go on and rest. Remember what Allen told you."

Anita's crackled and dry lips lifted into the bare shadow of a smile. "Yes," she nodded. Casting one last glance at the trembling girl, Anita gazed at her with a pained expression before sweeping out of the room without another word.

General Cross rubbed his face with a tired sigh, relieved that Anita had finally gone. Directing another look of scrutiny at the seals, he shook his head, knowing there wasn't much more he could do and went to sit on Anita's previous spot, beside the ailing girl. The sight was quite ghastly, and anyone who had come to know the cheerful girl under his care would no longer recognize her. Some of the more obvious changes were the graying of her skin, making her appear corpse-like, and her vibrant hair had dulled to a pitch black; the locks now shortened tuffs clinging to her clammy skin.

Though the Noah had no specified gender they each reincarnated to, Cross knew the Fourteenth was a special case, and had elected for Allen to disguise herself as a boy once more, and had her lengthy tresses cut away, courtesy of Anita. But that hadn't been the most traumatizing of changes for the young girl.

The most intense modification had been the removal of her left arm.

Another whimper of pain escaped Allen's colorless lips, right hand twitching towards the vacant space left behind by her missing limb, and without much thought, Cross reach over, shrouding her little hand in his. Belatedly, Cross flickered his eye down and gazed at their hands, a barely audible scoff escaping his lips. "… This is so fucked up. You were only ever meant to be a vessel," he murmured, large hand clenching around hers. "I never cared much for you, you know? I don't know how, but you were more Neah's friend than mine. And when you offered up yourself, your body…" Cross scoffed once more, turning his gaze away, inadvertently catching sight of the twitching Innocence limb he'd tossed into the corner. Feathers were beginning to sprout, the arm twitching as if agitated.

He flickered his gaze back towards Allen. "… When you offered up yourself as a sacrifice, I had no qualms. I wonder where I went wrong…" Cross mused. The shock of discovering that Allen had somehow switched genders still stuck with him. And for the longest time, he'd doubted everything about the kid; until the General finally realized that Allen truly had no recollections of being male. And like most females, she managed to worm her way into his heart, closer than most, even Anita. "It was never meant to be like this…"

A pained groan shook the small girl and Cross stayed by her side for the coming hours, eventually removing her bandages and wiping away the excess blood once it became obvious that the Stigmata had healed and scarred. And soon after, her body became rigid, piercing golden eyes snapping open as a single, dainty hand shot up and constricted his throat.

The General took this with smooth calmness. "… _Neah_ ," he growled pointedly, when he had yet to release his strangle on him.

The small girl disguising the male Noah cleared her throat, finally bringing her hand back down and sitting up. "Right, my bad," the Noah grunted, stretching aching limbs.

"… Well?" Cross eventually demanded, after giving the Noah a moment to himself.

Neah shot him a disgruntled glare and muttered. "I'm _fine_. And in control—for the most part."

" _Define_ 'in control'," Cross insisted, arms crossed and single eye narrowed.

"It _means_ ," Neah huffed, with his own heated glare, "That as much as I'm willing to slaughter Mana and the rest of the Clan at the moment, I _can_ and _will_ hold myself back. A little trust here would be appreciated, _Cross_."

"Good. Now that we've established that, give Allen back control," the General instructed, "There are some last minute issues I was unable to explain to her before she underwent the transformation, and I need everything clarified before you two disappear off the face of the earth."

"Yeah, yeah," Neah agreed, shifting uncomfortably. "Man, Cross, what the hell? Turning Allen into a _girl_?! I knew your brain was missing a few screws, but the whole tool box? Damn it…" Neah grumbled to himself, and didn't allow Cross a chance to protest before he was slumping down and retuning Allen her control.

"C-Cross?" Allen stammered and the General in question observed as her skin flushed bright into her previous tan, eyes altering into a pale gray. The only Noah-like aspect that remained was her onyx locks, as that was part of her disguise.

Placing a hand on her trembling shoulder, Cross steadied her and inquired, "How are you handling it?"

The silence lingered, and once Allen glanced directly at him, he noticed how her eyes were faintly glazed over. "It's…" she trailed off. "… the hate; it's all-consuming." Cross cursed under his breath. Hadn't Neah said he had it under control? Allen still appeared somewhat dazed as she continued, "I could kill someone right now. I _won't_ , but it would be so unbearably _easy_. I should just slaUGHTER _EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE FILTHY_ —"

"Allen!" Cross shouted, grasping her shoulders and shaking her.

"I…" Allen choked on the single word, and then remained silent. Eventually, she seemed able to shake it off, though the poor girl still appeared spooked. "S-sorry about that, General. Neah explained that restraining his hatred was equivalent to that of curbing an ocean. Some of his loathing incidentally spilled over onto me…"

"I see," Cross sighed, finally releasing her. "… Are you sure you're ready for all of this?"

Swallowing thickly, Allen gripped onto the sheets of the bed, knuckles becoming white with strain. "Yes," she whispered.

Cross smothered down the part of him that wanted to protest and keep her safe, but ultimately, he would abide by the old Allen's wishes. That young, redheaded man had made Cross promise to do everything in his power to make the new Allen support Neah, despite being unable to now recall the purpose he'd set out for himself at the time.

"Then we must examine a few, last minute issues before I send you on your way. The barrier is weakening, and not even the Grave of Maria shall be able to conceal you from the Earl," Cross pronounced gravely.

Allen nodded stiffly. "Alright." Almost involuntarily, her right hand reached up, rubbing her left shoulder where her arm had been severed.

With a small frown of his own, Cross grasped her right hand and gently tugged it away from her shoulder, before flipping her hand over, palm facing up, one of his fingers grazing over the cross tattoo he'd branded her with on the inside of her wrist. Allen gasped once her eyes landed on it. "What it is this?" she demanded quietly, left shoulder twitching, as if she'd meant to touch it with her other hand.

"I've sealed a special array of magyk inside you," Cross explained patiently. "You kept demanding how it was that'd you be able to fake your own death to the Noah, and so this is what I've been working on for the past two years."

"How does it work?" she wondered, eyes still examining the tattoo keenly.

"Don't worry about it," Cross shook his head. "The mechanisms are a bit complicated, but Neah will know how to activate it. The point of it is, that it suppresses the Noah. It will take all the Dark Matter that makes up Neah and repress him back into the brink of destruction. It won't kill him, but the Noah Clan will feel his absence to the point of thinking he's dead. The downside is that you won't have access to any of his abilities, and if the need ever arises, he will be unable to replace you in the use of your body without breaking the seal. You'll still be able to communicate, but I'd rather you wait to release him as a trump card against the Earl."

"My Ace of Spades," Allen murmured thoughtfully, before nodding. "Okay, I see."

"In the end, this mission will last only as long as you and Neah allow it to last," Cross concluded. "Now, get dressed. I've made a temporary concealment talisman that will keep the Earl from tracing you back to this location. So get away as far from here as you possibly can."

Allen gulped thickly but offered him a quick nod and stumbled out of bed. Her gaze momentarily landed on the neat stack of letters piled atop her nightstand. Allen's eyes dimmed, and she remarked, "Please don't forget to mail those."

Cross followed her gaze. Right; her farewell letters. "Of course."

Few words were exchanged after that, and it wouldn't be for years to come that General Cross would learn about the young, dark-haired boy that had stumbled into the greedy hands of the Millenium Earl.

* * *

 **A/N:** That concludes that first arc of this fic! And like I mentioned in the previous chapter, this is also where my outline officially dies, so any ideas you guys could toss at me would be immensely appreciated!

(And if you're curious, this fic includes three arcs that I know of. You've just read the first one; the next one is the Noah; the third, meeting the Black Order! If everything works out for Allen, that is…)

Please leave a review!(:


	8. Unfamiliar Territory

**A/N:** So, this first scene is half the length of what I originally wrote—mainly because I don't recall the conversation that occurred between Allen and Neah. And if you don't already know, the reason I dragged my feet when trying to get this chapter done, is because the original chapter eight was lost, and the thought of rewriting it made me lose all motivation. Sorry everyone I kept waiting.):

But thank you to everyone who reviewed! A big shout out to **Lena-luvs-cats** , **lizyeh2000** , **Guest** (x4), **xenocanaan** , **mellifluousMondegreen** , **Red raspberries** , **Failing Wings** , **WinterYule** (x6), **Kirei Ao Tori** (x2), and **Alexandta27**! I wouldn't blame you if any of you readers have given up on this story. But if you haven't, I hope that you enjoy!

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 **Disclaimer** **:** No.

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Chapter 8

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 **Time Frame —** **Night of January 7th, 1892**

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 **—1st Person POV—**

Sleep wasn't very forthcoming. But that was to be expected. The scuttling of vermin and small, grotesque creatures had me curling tighter and tighter into a stiff ball, my nose was clogged with the foul stench of piss and rotting food, and a light drizzle dampened the alley I'd taken refuge in, allowing the frigid cold to settle deep into my bones, until the chill burned from within. Worst of all? Cross' concealment talisman had lost its effect days ago.

 _He_ was coming. According to Neah, the Millenium Earl was watching me; following me; readying himself to confront me.

And this is the image I was presenting him with. I wasn't Red nor was I Allen. Those disguises were being shed in order to bring forth a new image: Neah. Obviously, not Neah himself, but the version of him I was pretending to be. One where he was newly reincarnated and innocent of past wrongs. And though I'd normally be unsure on the effectiveness of such a plan, I was counting on the fact that Mana—the Millenium Earl—wasn't… quite right in the head.

 ** _Prepare yourself._**

But Neah's warning couldn't have braced me for the sight of the large, rotund man with the frightening grin. Despite the massive, toothy smile that graced the Earl's face, tears streaked his dead, corpse-colored cheeks. And in the darkness of the night, his amber, pupil-slit eyes glowed eerily.

"… N-Neah…?" his low, gravelly voice echoed throughout the alleyway. Almost cautiously, as if frightened that I would disappear, the Earl's corpulent figure stepped forward.

The single hand clamped around my legs shook uncontrollably, and it was only by willpower that I stayed rooted to my spot. Voice choked and mouth dry, I parted me lips. "Who… who are you?"

The Millenium Earl stumbled to a stop, and in the darkness I was unable to discern his expression, lenses concealing his bright eyes. His ever-present, face-splitting grin only seemed to grow wider, and a chuckled escaped him, until his laughter couldn't be held back. "Neah…" he murmured, "… My brother~. We are going home; come~."

For a moment, I could only cringe away from the great hand being held in my direction. But this was it. This is what I'd come for.

Timidly, I placed my single trembling hand atop his palm. His fingers curled around it almost painfully, and before I could think to wrench myself away, the Early suddenly swooped in and scooped me up as if I were a mere baby. "Neah~… Neah~…" he kept murmuring as he carried me into the brilliant light of the Ark.

* * *

 _Oh boy…_ I thought, eyes practically bulging out. The Earl hadn't wasted any time. In a matter of minutes, I'd been transported to a grand mansion and brought into a sitting room. Before me, the Noah had gathered—the Millenium Earl, Sheryl, Road, and Lulubell, as they'd introduced themselves. Their inquisitive stares had me quaking in my boots, and nervously, I kept rubbing at my left shoulder, only growing more disheartened by the familiar ache of my missing limb.

"He's so… small," Road suddenly chirped, skipping forward and leaning down, bringing her bright, molten eyes of gold closer. Faced with her dark, ash-colored skin and the row of scarred stigmata peeking from beneath her spiky hair triggered something within me. Before I knew it, I could feel my skin steadily darkening into the same shade as hers, silver eyes drowning beneath gold, and stigmata sprouting underneath my head of black hair. And at the forefront of my mind, Neah's presence nestled beside mine. Oddly enough, my transformation encouraged Road to lean closer, until I was enveloped within her thin arms. "Welcome home," she murmured.

 _But… what about being a traitor? Are they really so easily fooled?_ I wondered, as I hesitantly wrapped my own arm around Road.

 ** _Love can be foolish, don't you think?_** Neah's chuckles echoed throughout my thoughts, amusement practically spilling over onto me.

I had bite my lip in order to hold Neah's smile back.

"What is the boy's name?" Sheryl asked.

"Neah," the Millenium Earl answered in the same moment that I whispered, "I don't have one."

Road pulled back and beamed. "Then your name is Neah, and now, you're part of our family! Okay?" Despite the nerves wreaking havoc on my mentality, I nodded in agreement, and she clasped her hands together with a satisfied grin. "Perfect. Sheryl is going to officially adopt you, aren't you daddy?" Large, inquisitive eyes turned to the man in question.

"Of course! Anything for my sweet Road!" Sheryl grinned, but even that expression didn't keep me from catching the flash of apprehension in his sunlit eyes. Of course. The Earl was accepting me out of sheer desperation to keep Neah at his side, and Road would do anything for 'Millenie's' sake—this didn't necessarily mean that the others would accept me as easily. After all, Neah had damaged their memories so badly, that not only had he disrupted the reincarnation process among the Clan, but they couldn't even recall the final moments before their past selves had been slaughtered.

"But," the Earl suddenly warned, a massive hand clamping onto my shoulder, "His name shall not be altered~. He will remain known as Neah Walker~."

"Of course," Sheryl agreed with a submissive nod of his head.

"Lulubell~," the Earl suddenly intoned, turning to the tall, stoic woman, "Please get Neah cleaned up~. There is something I must take care of, but I shall be here tomorrow in time for tea~." Before the Earl left, he squeezed me in one, last hug. "I'll be back soon, Neah~," he assured.

"O-okay," I stammered, timidly waving, before my only hand was enwrapped in Lulubell's.

"Come," she murmured, and in reaction to the lightening in her features, I too, altered into human appearance before we exited the sitting room, and the only trait that remained dark were my locks of hair. Fortunately for my nerves, Lulubell was quick and straight to the point. Once she ran a warm bath for me within one of the guest bedrooms, she handed me a small set of pajamas. "Wash up and get dressed. We shall be having a small supper before you are sent to bed. Be quick now."

For a few, brief seconds, I was relieved to find that she wouldn't be assisting me in the task, lest she discover I wasn't the gender I'd fooled them into believing I was—until my disability came into play.

"D-damn it," I cursed, tears spilling in frustration as I attempted to unbutton my top with one hand. Teeth gritted and hand fisted, I had to pause and take a few breaths, before finally, rummaging around the drawers and cabinets. Most were empty, but finally, I encountered some supplies in the cabinet above the toilet. "Aha!" Triumphant, I snatched a pair of scissors and out of sheer spite, I cut off both my shirt and trousers—I sincerely doubted I'd be allowed to keep the set of filthy clothes anyway.

By the time I stepped into the bath, the water had turned cold, much to my misfortune. But I'd already wasted too much time, so instead of sulking, I tried to clean up as quickly as possible. Because I only had one arm available to me, I was forced to squirt the shampoo directly onto my scalp, but I'd take what I could get. And I found myself feeling lucky when I realized that they also had liquid soap, because a bar of soap wasn't going to cut it at this point.

Drying was a bit awkward, and even more awkward came the part where I had to button up the stupid top on the set of blue pajamas, but I clenched my jaw and forced myself to take it slowly. Eventually, I got the majority of them done, but I gave up with the last two, bottom buttons. Instead, I pulled on a pair of warm socks, dumped my old clothes into the trash bin, before exiting with an exhausted huff.

Lulubell was waiting for me in the small sitting area of the guest room, lounging on a sofa with a book in her hands. When she heard me exit, she carefully eyed me, before setting the book on the coffee table, rising to her feet and in a few, quick steps, was crouching down before me. Almost gently, she straightened out my crooked pajama top, giving no mind to the useless, flapping sleeve on my left side, and finished buttoning the last two buttons. "You could have asked for assistance," she remarked briskly.

I gifted her with a strange look. "Why would you want to help?" I wondered. I didn't remember much of Lulubell from the manga series, other than her ability to shape shift and her devotion to the Earl. And of course, her role in the Level 4 attack. Other than that, I didn't know what else there was to her.

"I don't remember you," she answered bluntly, straightening up from her crouch and offering me her hand. "But you are clearly special to Master, and he has tasked me with taking care of you. Are you hungry?"

Hesitantly, I placed my hand in hers and gave her a mute nod. Lulubell tugged me out of the room and through the corridors. The inside of the mansion was just as exquisite as the its outer extravagance suggested—the brilliant, white walls were decorated with tapestries and portraits of the Kamelot family; thick, mauve curtains framed the vast windows, their planes of glass accented in gold; the space within the halls were so wide, the occasional sofa, chair, or glass table sat against its walls for no other purpose than to accentuate its stunning surroundings.

Once we reached the grand staircase, Lulubell lead me down to the main entrance hall, before we entered a different hallway leading to yet another sprawling room that appeared to be the dining room. Almost timidly, I crawled up onto the head chair, in which Lulubell had directed me towards, with Road and Lulubell sitting on either side of me.

And it was at that exact moment that a row of servants came in, in order to fill our end of the table with plates and platters of food. But Road and Lulubell acted as if they didn't exist.

"Daddy's sorry he couldn't make it," Road chirped, leaning forward, and if the table hadn't obstructed my view, I'm sure I would've caught sight of her legs swinging back and forth. "He's already begun the paperwork that your adoption will entail! Isn't it exciting, Neah?"

"Um, sure," I murmured, nodding in agreement, before glancing down at the bowl of warm stew that had been placed before me. I reached for a spoon.

"Wrong spoon!" Road giggled.

I flushed, and Lulubell directed me towards the correct utensil. I didn't understand the difference, but I thought it better not to question it. Days of feeding on scraps had my stomach urging me towards the food, but I took my time, slightly self-conscious of the two Noah watching my every move. The fear gripping my thoughts had dulled to mere apprehension, but that didn't mean I was still weary of the Noah. If they grew too curious, I was unsure of how well I'd handle their scrutiny. Mostly, I feared how well I'd be able to play the part of a Noah.

 ** _That's where I'll come in._**

 _Are you sure?_ I asked doubtfully, slipping a spoonful of seasoned stew into my mouth. Its warmth filled me with comfort. _How's your control? Even now, I can feel hints of your wrath and hatred spilling onto me._

 ** _Right. Sorry about that. I'll manage, so don't worry about._**

 _If you're sure…_ I trailed off, turning to Road when she began to speak.

"Say, Neah," she began, voice inquisitive, and even a bit hesitant, "Do you… do you remember anything?"

My brow furrowed in an attempt to convey my confusion. "Remember…?"

"Have your own Noah memories been damaged as well? Do you recall nothing from before?" Road insisted, lips pursed.

 ** _It might be best if you gave her something_** , Neah suggested.

Mentally, I nodded. Outwardly, I frowned, fingers reaching to brush against my temple. "My Noah…" I murmured, in an attempt to give myself some time. After about a minute, I chose upon a memory, and admitted, "Not really. I only remember a face. I think he was my brother…"

Road perked up, a beam lighting up her face. "Really? That's Millenie!"

I glanced at her. "The man that found me?"

"Yes!" Road gushed, practically vibrating with energy. "I'm so happy you remember him! And…" Road trailed off as her smile dimmed into something sad. "And I'm glad you don't remember what happened. It'll… it'll be like a second chance! Okay, Neah? You're part of our family now, and that's what matters."

"Ah, right, of course," I murmured, before chewing on a piece of warm, buttered bread. Already I could feel my stomach becoming full, and though it might've been convenient, it only served as a bitter reminder that Crown Clown had been severed from me. Without the Innocence feeding off my energy, I didn't constantly need to feed myself. But I still missed its warm presence. Crown Clown may not have been convenient throughout my childhood, and I'd hated the arm for the longest time, but without noticing, I'd grown attached to the Innocence through the years of battling Akuma. Not only that, but as my arm, it was a huge part of me.

Though, I _was_ grateful that no one had brought up my disability. That one would be difficult to explain—mainly because of the strange shape its indent had left behind. I could say I'd been born this way, but you'd think someone dealing with this sort of disability throughout their life would've learned to function with one arm by now. I'd only had a little over week to grow used the ache.

"You're tired," Lulubell suddenly stated. "Would you like to retire for the night?"

I blinked, startled out of my thoughts, and realized I'd been dragging my spoon through the remaining dregs of stew. "Oh," I mumbled, straightening up slightly, "Yes. That sounds nice."

"If you do not recall the location of your appointed bedroom, you may follow me," Lulubell remarked as she removed the cloth napkin from her lap and rose to her feet.

"Right, of course," I nodded, setting down my spoon, and sliding out of the large, mahogany chair.

"Goodnight, Neah!" Road waved.

Turning back, I offered her a brief wave. "Goodnight, Road," I replied, before trotting after Lulubell. This time around, I made sure to pay more attention to the turns we took within the halls—if there was yet another difference between me and the Allen Walker of the manga, it was that I had a much better sense of direction. And though the mansion could be compared to a sprawling maze, memorizing the route to my own bedroom was simple enough. It would do for now—after all, this is the place I would now be calling home.

(Already, I ached to be back with Cross and Anita; to be exchanging letters with Lavi, Lenalee, and Kanda. I missed them. I felt homesick.)

"Rest well," Lulubell offered once we reached the door to my room, "Tomorrow shall be a busy day, so you best be prepared."

I was too exhausted to wonder what she meant, so instead, I nodded and bid her goodnight. Once I was alone in my bedroom, I sighed in relief.

 _That wasn't as bad as I'd expected._

Within my thoughts, Neah snorted. **_Don't be fooled by their human act. Eventually, their obligation as Noah will show you a much darker side._**

I nodded, making a small prayer, before giving in and succumbing to my exhaustion.

* * *

 **Time Frame — Morning of January 8th, 1892**

* * *

At eight o'clock on the dot, Lulubell, accompanied with an older woman, came to wake me up. For a moment, I almost lashed out with my Innocence out of pure instinct, before realizing that that was both impossible and a suicidal thing to do. Once I'd gotten a reign down on my emotions, I followed Lulubell's directions in rousing myself from bed, and standing steady when the lady, a seamstress, began to measure me. On the rumpled sheets of my bed, Lulubell placed a set of folded clothes and a box containing a pair of boots.

"I had a servant run down to one the shops to buy you something to wear for the day," Lulubell explained, "But the rest of your wardrobe shall be custom made." Instead of allowing me time to reply, the blonde turned to the seamstress and remarked, "Make sure that both sleeves on the clothes are perfectly even."

The woman paused, pale eyebrows rising high. "Are you certain? I am sure there are many ways in which I could do a cover-up on his missing arm, though it might be tricky."

"His arm shall be taken care of. Do as I've asked," Lulubell stated briskly.

"It will be?" I blinked, expression perplexed. It was too early for this sort of thinking.

But Lulubell only offered me a silent nod and no more. There was no further conversation that followed, and I was soon left alone to wash up and get dressed. Unfortunately, I was forced to face the nightmare of buttons once more, but I lived, and if a few were left unbutton beneath the tan-colored over-sweater, none would be the wiser. I didn't even bother to unlace the boots, and instead shoved my feet into them. Because they were a little bigger than expected, the trick worked.

It was then that I finally headed downstairs for breakfast, as per Lulubell's instructions. I dragged my feet for a while, before surrendering to my growling stomach and quickening my steps. By the time I arrived, breakfast had been served. I paused at the entrance, taking the time to observe those already seated.

At the head of the table, Sheryl occupied the seat in which I'd taken last night, paying more attention to the newspaper in his hand than the breakfast set before him. His other hand was clasped around the hand of the woman sitting at his side. She was a pretty little thing and appeared almost fragile. It took me few more seconds to recall who she was—Tricia, Sheryl's human wife. Beside Tricia, Lulubell sat, prim and proper as ever, and on Sheryl's other side, Road bounced on her seat before she finally caught sight of me.

"Neah!" she called, waving her arms. "Come here! I saved you a seat right beside me! Hurry, before Uncle Tyki comes in and steals it!"

I blinked, before offering her a tentative smile. Briefly, I wondered when Tyki would succumb to his Noah, before making my way over and taking a seat beside Road. "Good morning," I greeted everyone, ignoring the dryness of my mouth.

"Ah, Neah, it is nice to see you cleaned up!" Sheryl finally set his paper down, any apprehension he'd shown towards me last night completely gone—or at the very least, hidden. Turning to his wife, he remarked, "This is the boy Adam found. What do you think, dear?"

Tricia turned to me and offered me a kind smile, which I returned. Being the only human, she was probably the only one I was immediately comfortable with. "Hello, young man. I'm Tricia, and I've heard much about you from both my husband and daughter. How do you feel about the adoption? Is it okay with you?"

I was slightly surprised by her question. I didn't think anyone would actually ask my opinion of it. At this point, I just figured it was a thing that _was_. "It's a little sudden," I admitted quietly, "But I'm not opposed to it. Road says I'm family, after all."

"Well said," Tricia nodded and graced me with a smile, already taking the role of proud mother.

"Little brother!" Sheryl suddenly exclaimed as Tyki lazily made his entrance. I perked up, observing the young, handsome man who took a seat beside Lulubell.

"Mornin'," Tyki muttered sleepily, before he suddenly caught sight of me sitting at an angle from him and paused. "Um, and _you_ are?"

"Brother, please don't be so uncouth," Sheryl sighed.

"But it's Tyki!" Road laughed. "You know how cranky he is in the mornings, daddy!"

"Brat," Tyki grumbled, now more interested in eating breakfast than finding out who I was.

For once, I decided to take the initiative. "I'm Neah," I answered his previous question, presenting him with a slightly nervous smile. "It's nice to make your acquaintance."

Tyki seemed slightly startled, and when he didn't answer right away, Sheryl spoke up, "Please Brother, don't be so impolite. Meet your new nephew. Tricia and I decided to adopt another little one to keep Road company! Isn't this wonderful? We now have _two_ beautiful children!"

Tyki's eyes practically bugged out, and he almost choked on his tea. "A-another one?!" he demanded. Road burst into giggles, and it didn't take much to figure out that she was probably a constant bother to him. Having another child running around was probably the last thing he wanted. But when no one deigned to reply—Sheryl being oblivious, and Tricia and Road being too amused—Tyki just sighed in resignation. "Nice to meet you, squirt," Tyki finally muttered, "I'm Tyki."

"It's _Uncle_ Tyki to us," Road nudged me, giggling.

Tyki shot her an irritated glare. "Um, _is_ it okay if I call you that?" I asked him. Road may be interested in pushing as many buttons as she could until Tyki snapped, but one day, this man would be my enemy. Better to keep the grudge to a minimum.

He seemed startled that I'd even asked, but he just shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

I nodded quietly and returned to my breakfast.

The lull in the conversation was suddenly disrupted when Road exclaimed, "Daddy! Today's my last day of winter break! Can Neah come with me to school tomorrow?"

It was my turn to choke on my tea.

"I'm not sure, Road," Sheryl responded with a frown. "I must establish all the paperwork for the adoption before I can properly enroll him into school."

Road pouted. " _Please_ , daddy? It'll only make it more difficult if Neah shows up in the middle of the semester, and then he'll be stuck here without _me_ all day! Can't you do something, daddy? Please?"

Sheryl's eyes were suddenly bright with determination. "Just for you, my wonderfully cute daughter, I'll make it happen!"

Road cheered.

Across the table, I shot Tyki a pleading gaze, but he only smirked in amusement. It took all my willpower to not slump down and bury my face into the plate of food.

* * *

Later that afternoon, after a busy day of dealing with Road and Lulubell's constant attention, the three of us were called up to Sheryl's office. It appeared that another Noah meeting was taking place, because everyone gathered had shifted into their Noah form. After a small plead of help to Neah, he helped me with shifting forms along with the rest. And instead of Sheryl sitting at main desk, there was a strange man who occupied it, and I almost choked on mere air when I recognized Mana—or, as those around here called him, Adam.

"Neah," he murmured, eyes focused solely on me. "Come here. I have a gift for you."

I hesitated, until Road pushed me forward with a giggle. "A gift?" I wondered, now standing before him, a single, narrow box sitting between us upon the desk.

"Please," he smiled gently, pushing the box towards me, "It was not easy, but I worked hard on it. I hope it is to your liking."

"Um, okay, thank you," I smiled awkwardly, before, at his insistence, opening the box. Once I caught sight of its contents, I gaped, stumbling back with a squeak of surprise. "I-is that…?!" I trailed off, eyes bugging out.

"I made it out of Dark Matter," Mana explained, reaching in and lifting the ash-colored arm out of the box. "I expect it will be a great help to you, little brother."

* * *

 **A/N:** I know the Noah seem all happy and nice, but war hasn't really broken out yet, so I figure it'll be a while before they start getting involved in doing the Earl's dirty work.

Anyway, it's three in the morning, so I'm going to hit the hay. But please, let me know your thoughts in a review!(:


	9. Making a Home

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait. I know I haven't updated any of my stories for weeks, so I apologize. Honestly, I haven't even been on this site much. And a big thank you to **xenocanaan** , **WinterYule** , **lizyeh2000** , **Red raspberries** , **The Ruisu** , **Guest** , **readwithcats** , **Not-Gonna-Update** , **sadark** , **Farahilde** , **AmatsuKitsune** , and **Lena-luvs-cats** for all taking the time to review! I'm happy to see both old and new readers!(:

Please enjoy!

* * *

 **Disclaimer** **:** Nope!:P

* * *

Chapter 9

* * *

 **Time Frame —** **Morning of January 9th, 1892**

* * *

 **—1st Person POV—**

Despite Road's insistence on my attendance of school, I was thankfully given another week to adjust before being thrown into _that_ mess. It was mainly the doing of Mana—he wanted to make sure that I fully became accustomed to the new arm he'd carefully molded into my shoulder. Its dark presence was a sharp and uncomfortable contrast to that of my Innocence limb, but at this point, I was too grateful to begrudge it. For now, I was simply focusing my attention on gaining a better control over it; its movement was rather stiff and awkward, but I'd managed to nick a deck of cards off of Tyki and practicing with them was slowly, but surely, allowing for improvement.

"Have some tea."

I paused. Slowly, I shifted my gaze upwards and stared at Mana. Up until a moment ago, I'd been seated alone, residing in the gardens behind the manor. According to Road, this area was where they normally ate brunch when they had noble guests, or if Tricia was healthy enough, hosted a luncheon. The wrought iron chairs, though exquisite, weren't all that comfortable, but I figured I wouldn't be bothered out here.

Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if Mana had been lurking.

"Thank you," I finally consented, carefully setting down the card in my hand and picking up the dainty teacup off of the platter. I was pleasantly surprised to find my movements a little more fluid than before.

Mana seemed relieved. Eyeing my assortment of cards, he asked, "What have you been up to?"

Small talk. Not exactly what I'd been expecting.

Where were the interrogations? The suspicion? Why was he acting so… _normal_? Don't get me wrong. I'd prefer this over the insane scheming of the Millenium Earl, but the lack of threat from him, unintentional or otherwise, had me on edge.

Rather than responding immediately, I observed the way he met my gaze anxiously. Mana sat across from me, stiff and practically on the edge of his seat, leaning towards me as if he expected something. What that 'something' was, I couldn't begin to guess. My unwavering gaze only seemed to unsettle him further, so I finally took a sip of the bitter tea and replied, "I'm playing Solitaire. The movements are helping my left hand become less stiff."

Mana's features softened. "I'm glad to hear that, little brother."

That only worked to raise another question—was I now expected to refer to him as 'Brother'? I frowned, setting the teacup back onto its accompanying tray before folding my hands on my lap. _Calling him 'Adam' seems formal and I doubt he would appreciate that. Goodness, I expected to deal with an evil mastermind who had too many screws loose, not a so-called brother and his pathetic attempts at bonding. Sheesh._

The silence became stilted and awkward, so I pointedly returned to my card game. Unfortunately for my unsettled nerves, Mana didn't take the hint. Instead, he appeared content to simply sip away at his tea and watch my solitary game. His attentive gaze only served to distract me, and whatever progress I'd made seemed to vanish, much to my frustration. My left hand once again grew taut and unyielding to my control, and I was sorely tempted to shout and shove all the cards aside.

Instead, I gritted my teeth and fisted my other hand. Almost cautiously, I guided my left hand back onto my lap.

"What's the matter, Neah?" Mana was quick to demand. "Is your new hand causing you too much trouble?"

I took a deep breath in order to calm my nerves, before replying, voice tight, "I'm fine. I can handle it." It took a couple more breaths before I was better able to gain control over myself. Sliding off the chair and onto my feet, I spoke a little more calmly, "I'm going to take a break. If you need me, I'll be in my room."

Before Mana could protest, I rushed off, accidentally abandoning my deck of cards. But I didn't return for them. Instead, I stumbled through the halls, the shakiness suddenly hitting me like a battering ram. Pausing and leaning against a wall, I slid down onto the cool, marble floors.

 _What is wrong with me?_

I recoiled in shock when I received an answer.

 ** _That would be my doing. The longer I'm around him, the more my memories clear up and the more my ire grows. There's a reason I'm a traitor to the Clan, Allen. Do you perhaps, remember?_**

I snorted. _My psyche is already drowning beneath your mounting persona. I don't exactly have room to recall memories that will most likely remain lost._

 ** _Tch. I see._** Neah's tone was unreadable. **_Whatever the case, stay away from him. It's already difficult enough as it is keeping myself under control._**

 _Yeah,_ I scoffed, _And you haven't exactly been doing much of a good job in that department either._ Gingerly, I picked myself up and began the long trek to my bedroom.

 ** _Give me a break. It's been two days._**

 _You woke me up all of three times last night,_ I deadpanned. _If you don't get it together, it'll come to the point where I'll be forced to explain why I've got Road in a chokehold in the middle of the night. And you haven't exactly got a remarkable track record, if you know what I mean._

Neah's sigh swept throughout my mind with a swoosh. **_I can't help it if I want to rip most of their faces off._**

I paused mid-step. _Um, actually, yes you can._

 ** _… That's not that point._**

 _Then what_ is _the point?_ I huffed as I reached the grand staircase.

 ** _The point is that you need to find a better pastime than hanging around the Noah. With the war at a standstill, you won't be assigned missions by the Earl, therefore it's manageable._**

Reaching the top of the staircase, I couldn't help but scoff as I ventured into the maze-like corridors. _You're kidding me right? Have you already forgotten the mission Cross assigned us?_

 ** _In my defense, we were prepared to face the Clan's suspicion, not their unconditional love,_** Neah grimaced, the distaste in his voice practically tangible, **_I expected to have a little more space to acclimate myself to their presence. The mission can wait, Allen. It's not like you've accomplished much yourself. You were with Mana for practically an hour and you barely said a word._**

I faltered. _… I know. It's just… I'm not exactly comfortable with Cross' instructions. I mean, I know your brother's an evil mastermind and all, but it's difficult to see that when I only see Mana's face. I'm not sure if I can do this._

 ** _You have plenty of time,_** Neah assured me, before his voice abruptly darkened, **_But there's no turning back. You're going to do it, Allen. Because if you don't, I'll take over, and get it done myself at whatever cost._**

Before I could make a retort, Neah's presence suddenly vanished from the forefront of my mind, and I could only remain frozen, startled (but not shocked) by his threat. Even so, it was difficult to hold back a shudder.

"Boy, if you could not block my way, I'd appreciate it."

Startled back to reality, I belatedly noticed Tyki's lanky form towering over me, most of his upper half concealed behind stacks of tomes and papers weighing his arms down. "I'm sorry, but you _could_ have just walked around me," I pointed out, hand gesturing towards the spacious hall around us.

He huffed impatiently. "You're blocking the way to my _room_ ," he pointed out, nodding to the door I'd paused by.

Face flushing with embarrassment, I smiled sheepishly and offered, "Right, my bad, let me get the door for you!" Turning, I hurriedly twisted the handle and pushed the door open, before stepping aside. Tyki only offered me a nod of thanks as he lugged the heavy stack into his room. Heading towards the small sitting area, he dumped everything onto the coffee table and settled himself on the thick carpeted floor, in between the sofa and coffee table.

Curious, I ventured into his room. "What's all that for?" I asked, remaining near the doorway just in case I needed to make a quick escape.

Tyki scowled. "Sheryl's saddled me with all this work," he answered, irritated, "Says it's supposed to teach me more about running campaigns and advancing in the political world by getting involved in the current issues he's aligned himself with."

"Sounds boring," I admitted, casually stepping further into the room. "But why's it got your knickers in a twist?"

" _Because_ ," Tyki glowered, "It's rubbish! He's just getting me to do all the paperwork he finds too tiresome!"

Settling onto one of the armchairs, I had a vague recollection of Komui and Reever, before I shook the image away. "Can't you just say no?" I asked, resting my elbow against the armrest and dropping a cheek against my palm. "It's not like you're obligated to do so. Plus, how does he even know you'll do it correctly?"

"Well, for one, I'm _living_ with him," Tyki pointed out, "And last time I messed his paperwork up, he nearly killed me." He said it so deadpan, it made me wonder how much Tyki had grown accustomed to Sheryl's (or even Road's) Noah bleeding through. Poor guy. "So now, I've got to study up on everything before I can even make a decision! It's like I'm playing minister behind the scenes!"

My lips twitched into a smile. "It could be worse. You could be a roaming vagabond forced into random labor work because nobility are a bunch of penny-pinchers when it comes to offering the lower class a better economy."

Tyki grimaced. "Don't even go there."

I pressed my lips, trying to keep my laughter at bay. Once I was sure I wouldn't burst into giggles at the irony, I instead pointed out, "Either way, it's not like you have anything better to do."

"And what would you know about that, boy?" Tyki huffed, straightening out the stacks of papers and filing them into a specific order known only to him.

"I wouldn't," I shrugged, leaning back against the armchair, "I just assumed most of the upper class people sit around doing nothing."

"Some do," Tyki agreed brazenly, "But if I don't pull my weight around here, it's back to living with mother, and God knows that's an absolute nightmare."

I rolled my eyes. "Why can't you just get your own place?"

Tyki grimaced with distaste, "I could, but that would also involve mother showing up to check on me. She usually leaves Sheryl to do his own thing, which is why I'd rather stick with him."

"Huh," I replied thoughtfully, "This 'mother' must be quite the character."

Tyki merely grunted a reply and continued to sift through the piles of papers and books. With nothing better to do, I remained in my seat and watched him stress as he sifted through the heavy tomes, occasionally pulling at his hair in frustration. It was such a sad sight, I very nearly offered my help, but I knew nothing about running a _government_ , so I refrained.

Eventually, my eyes drifted to gaze around Tyki's quarters. They were even more extravagant than my own, colored in all shades of blues and silvers. Any and all fabrics shone in silky textures of cerulean, panes of glass accented in silver, and furniture carved delicately from dark mahogany. After much observation from my part, my eyes finally landed on the brand new deck of cards stacked neatly on Tyki's nightstand.

Casting a glance Tyki's way, I made sure he was fully enwrapped within his work, before allowing my feet to sink into the plush carpet. Silently, I slinked towards his nightstand and snatched the cards up and within minutes, I was sitting beside the armchair I'd previously resided in and setting up the cards into another game of Solitaire. With a grimace, I stretched out the stiff joints on my left fingers and wrist, before settling into the game. Amusingly enough, it wasn't until I'd nearly completed my game that Tyki finally realized that not only had I stuck around, but that I'd also snatched his new cards.

"Boy, it wouldn't happen to be _you_ who stole my last deck?" Tyki demanded, eyes narrowed my way.

I frowned. "No, of course not."

"Hm," Tyki hummed, unconvinced, before snapping the tome in his hands close and wearily rising to his feet. "I believe it's almost lunch time."

"Really? That's great! I'm starving!" Within seconds, I'd shuffled the cards back into a neat stack and had carefully set them on the corner of the coffee table, making sure they remained apart from Tyki's mess of paperwork. "H-hey! Uncle Tyki! Wait for me!" I called, realizing that Tyki had already left without me. And much to my surprise, he actually paused just outside the doorway, not continuing until I'd reached his side.

"Uncle Tyki, when does Road come home?" I wondered, trotting alongside him.

"Your sister should be back within another two hours," he replied with a sigh, "Trust me when I say you'll know the exact moment she steps through the front door."

I tossed him a curious look, but he didn't elaborate. "So," I continued, "What else is there to do around this place?" If I had to keep away from the Noah for a little a bit—at least, for Neah's sake—I'd need something to distract myself with.

"Around here? Nothing much," Tyki shrugged as we descended the grand staircase, "Though if you turn out to be anything like Road, you should have plenty of fun terrorizing the staff." I frowned, but before I could protest, Tyki continued, "And once you join Road in school, you two will probably vanish for hours on end just for the sake of avoiding Lulubell."

"Eh? Why would we avoid Lulubell?" I asked, hopping over the last step and onto the ground floor.

"Sheryl hired Lulubell to be Road's tutor when the school sent too many complaints about Road shirking her studies," Tyki explained as he lead me towards the dining room, "Now Road's been disappearing on and off for the past couple months, while Lulubell's forced to hunt her down."

"Uh, I think I'd rather stay out of that," I mumbled. I found that both Road and Lulubell could be rather frightening—an assessment I'd technically made within my previous life, but one I didn't doubt. Whatever they had going on was probably a lot more complicated than simple hide-and-seek.

"If you say so," Tyki shrugged. We were the first to arrive, and Tyki took a seat beside the head of the table, where Road normally sat, and I took a seat beside him. Within minutes, one of Tricia's caretakers was assisting her into the room. She was so delicate in appearance that I couldn't but hurry over and pull her designated chair back as the caretaker helped Tricia settle into her seat. Once the caretaker disappeared, Tricia offered me a sweet smile.

"Thank you, Neah, my little gentleman," she spoke quietly, reaching a hand out to smooth down my short tuffs of black locks.

"Of course, Tricia!" I returned her contagious smile.

"Please, call me 'mum'," she insisted.

My face grew hot. "Oh. Um, really? Are you sure?"

"Yes, you're legally my son now. And I couldn't be happier for it," Tricia answered sincerely, smile still in place.

"O-okay," I nodded, belatedly tacking on, "Mum." She pulled me into a brief hug before allowing me to return to my seat. Lunch was eaten in a companionable silence on my part. Sheryl and Mana (or Adam) were currently meeting with the President of the Republic, while Road was still attending school. Occasionally, small talk was exchanged between Tricia and Tyki above me, but overall, lunch was a peaceful affair.

"Neah, would you help me to my room, please?" Tricia suggested once lunch concluded.

"Certainly!" I quickly agreed, hurrying to her side as she carefully rose her to feet. Tricia rested her hand against the crook of my elbow, and we slowly began to make our way towards her room. Her breathing seemed to become slightly ragged from the effort. "Are you okay?" I asked, frowning.

"Just a little out of breath," Tricia explained, sending a reassuring smile my way. "Don't fret too much, Neah," she continued as we gradually ascended the staircase, "It's only a fever. I should be fine within a day or so."

 _Until you catch yet another sickness,_ I couldn't help but think cynically. It's not like there was a cure for a weak immune system. But I didn't voice my thoughts. Instead, I continued to assist in guiding her to the master bedroom. I was ready to make my exit once she settled into bed, but instead she patted the space beside her and suggested, "Would you mind keeping me company for a little bit, Neah?"

"I don't mind," I smiled, kicking my boots off and clambering onto the bed, careful not to jostle Tricia as I settled down beside her.

"Thank you," Tricia smiled once more, and I was beginning to wonder if she could hold any other expression.

"It's not a problem," I shrugged, slightly confused. I was only sitting beside her. It was nothing much to be grateful for.

Tricia shook her head, relaxing back against a mound of pillows and pulling my close beside her. "Not only for this. I… I'm just so happy you've agreed to become a part of our family. My body is much too weak to carry children. Road is a joy, of course, but I'm so happy to have another child around the house. I'm happy to be a mother once more."

"Y-you don't have to cry!" I protested.

"I didn't even realize," Tricia smiled, lifting her finger to wipe away the drops.

A warmth filled me as I watched her. I reached out towards my fading memories, attempting to remember if this is what my own mother had been like, but… I couldn't recall. I ignored the ache within in my heart, and instead enjoyed my time with Tricia. If this is what mum's were like, then I didn't have a doubt in my mind that Tricia and my previous mother were similar. I soaked in the warm feeling as Tricia and I spoke. I revealed nothing of what my life was like before joining the Noah—I didn't want to lie, not to her—but I spoke of the things I liked and loved, of the places I wanted to visit, and the people I wanted to meet.

"You want to meet the Pope?" Tricia giggled beside me.

I shrugged. "Well, _yeah_. I want to see what all the fuzz is about! Anyway, you know who else I want to meet?"

"Who?" Tricia humored me.

"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle!" I declared dramatically. "He just published his first short Sherlock Holmes story last year! I have a feeling there'll be more to come…"

"I myself have never heard of him, but I'll take your word for it," Tricia nodded, lips quirked into an amused smile.

"Mhmm," I hummed, as we drifted into a comfortable silence. I was so warm and comfortable, and my eyes fluttered shut for a little bit. We must have drifted off to sleep, because next thing I know, I was being startled awake by a distant shout.

" _I'm home~!"_

"Hm, that'll be Road," Tricia murmured, concealing a yawn behind a petite hand. "Why don't you go on and greet her, Neah?"

I didn't really want to, but Tricia appeared slightly worn out, so I instead offered her a smile as I stretched out the kinks in my muscles. "Okay, mum. You keep resting, alright?"

"Thank you, Neah," she murmured as she leaned down and curled up around her fluffy pillows. I tugged the thick comforter over her and then pulled on my boots before tiptoeing out of her bedroom. It was just as I was nearing one of the halls leading to the grand staircase that I ran into Road.

"Neah!" she cheered, tackling me with one of her bear hugs. She didn't allow me much time to protest because all too soon Road had hauled me back to my feet and was dragging me through the maze of corridors. "School was awful!" she moaned, "You're so lucky you get to stay home for another week! But I bet you missed me, didn't you? Come on! Let's go play before Lulubell tries to make me do homework!"

It was slightly difficult keeping up with her boundless energy, so I only really caught the last of her rant. "Eh? They gave you homework on the first week?"

"Yes!" Road agreed indignantly, finally releasing me from her grasp as she stomped into her room. Curiously, I gazed at the disaster that was her bedroom and wondered if maids were even allowed in here. Most of the carpet was concealed beneath piles of toys for as far as the eye could see. How many dolls and teddy bears did one girl _need_? "Shut the door behind you!" Road called, startling me into action. Once I closed the door, I followed after her, careful not to step on any of her toys, pausing when something weird caught my eye. In between a pile of blocks stacked to resemble a castle and heap of animal figurines, a strange doll resembling Tyki lied on its side.

Carefully picking it up between the tips of my thumb and index finger, I warily called, "Um, Road? Did you make a voodoo doll of Uncle Tyki?"

"Oh! I was wondering where that had disappeared off to!" Road exclaimed, skipping back to my side. She beamed. "Isn't it great? With a single poke of a needle, I had Tyki joining my tea parties without a single complaint!" Road giggled.

"Gee, that's handy," I laughed nervously, discreetly taking a step back.

"Don't really need it at the moment though," Road shrugged, snatching it from my fingers and tossing it aside. I pretended not to hear the distant shout of pain that followed. "I bet you'd be a way better playmate than Tyki! And I've got your dress up clothes ready! Come on!"

Minutes later, Road and I were decked out in some fancy getup. She was dressed up in one of her gowns, a pretty lilac one, and was now taking the time to tie a bowtie around my neck. "We're ready!" she decided with a grin, skipping over to a round table with a fancy tea set near one of the corners of her room, and shoving away the bear with the top hat off one of the seats. "This is your seat, Neah!" she indicated, motioning for me to join her as she took her own seat.

Despite my earlier fear of her, playing make-believe with Road was more relaxing than I thought. There was something about goofing around and just being a child that brought me closer with the usually scary Noah girl. Which is why I was startled when Road suddenly grew irritated as we were interrupted of our game by a staff member.

"Lord Adam wishes for Neah to join him in his office."

Road's expression softened. Turning towards me, she remarked, "Millenie wants to see you! Go on, Neah, I'm sure you'll have a great time!"

"O-okay," I nodded, smile weak. As I left, I couldn't help but drag my feet.

 _Can you handle it?_

 ** _I'll be fine. It is you, who should consider taking advantage of this._**

I didn't respond and instead prepared myself to face Mana once more, Cross' orders swirling throughout my mind.

* * *

 **MISSION TITLE: OPERATION RED DEMON**

 **SUBJECT:  
** Allen Walker and Neah Walker.

 **SITUATION:  
** By majority, the Millenium Earl has taken to roaming around as a traveling entertainer. His mental status appears to still be unstable. It isn't until recently that he has altered himself in order to appear of higher status. Though it has yet to be confirmed, it is probable that some of his associates are newly reincarnated Noah and that he is preparing himself to be involved in the Holy War once more. The Millenium Earl has also recently come into contact with Neah Walker, hosting the body of one Allen Walker. To avoid suspicion, they've joined the ranks of the Noah, and are no longer under my supervision.

 **LOCATION:  
** Unknown.

 **PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:  
** The subject has been tasked with inflicting psychological torture upon Mana Walker/The Millenium Earl. The target's already mental instability will further degrade upon the subject's methods of destroying his self-image by removing any kind of control over his environment, creating a state of psychological regression, depersonalization, and learned helplessness. Furthermore, through the use of Magykal aid, Neah Walker's death shall be staged, irreversibly annihilating any definite stability within the Millenium Earl's psyche.

 **SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:  
** The subject shall take possession of the Noah Ark, robbing the Noah Clan of a transit unit, the Akuma Egg Plant, and its legion of Skulls.

 **DATE OF DISPATCHMENT:  
** Night of December 28th, 1891

 **DATE OF COMPLETETION:  
** To be determined.

 **REPORT SUBMITTED BY:  
** General Marian L. Cross

 **REPORT SUBMITTED TO:  
** Inspector Malcolm C. Leverrier

* * *

 **A/N:** Okay, that's a wrap folks! I hope the chapter was okay, considering it was a pain to write, lol. Some chapters come easy, and others fight you every step of the way. Anyway! So I decided to include the mission report towards the end, in order to clarify what Allen's purpose is while she's with the Noah. Originally, I had Allen explain it herself, until I cringed and decided that 500 words of word-vomit was too much, and instead shrunk it into a simple report. I know it's not in character for Cross, but this is kind of a bid deal!

Let me know your thoughts please!(:


	10. Poker Mastermind

**A/N:** Sorry, I didn't edit.

Thank you to **readwithcats** , **lizyeh2000** , **Lena-luvs-cats** , **xenocanaan** , **Guest** , **13Mitsume27** , **MaryDBlack** , **Appirinia** , **nessa11997** , **Alexandta27** , and **Guest #2** for reviewing! Enjoy!

* * *

 **Disclaimer** **:** I still don't own anything. Sheesh.

* * *

Chapter 9

* * *

 **Time Frame —** **Noon of January 16th, 1892**

* * *

 **—1st Person POV—**

Returning to primary school was _the_ dullest experience I'd encountered up until this point of my new life. The adventures, and dangers, and rush of adrenaline seemed like a distant and hazy dream when sitting amongst a group of rowdy ten-year-olds. I almost felt sorry for poor Miss Winslow. But with no interest to get involved, I'd managed to improve my non-existent artistic skills a tad in just the first morning.

 _Ding-ding-ding!_

Before our teacher could make so much as a protest, the rest of my classmates raced to escape the confines of our classroom, eager to be the first to reach the courtyard out front. The school building didn't look like much of a school at all. Its appearance resembled more of a fancy two-story brick-house that had been converted into a tutoring center for all the nobles' bratty children.

"Neah? Could you please stay back for a moment?"

When I heard Miss Winslow's request through her thick, Portuguese accent, I almost regretted not joining my eager classmates in their mad escape. Setting my school bag back down, I turned to Miss Winslow with a polite smile and joined her at her desk.

Taking a deep breath and brushing down her thick, curly hair, my teacher apologized, "Ah, I'm sorry about that. Your classmates are bit of a handful and I didn't get much of a chance to make sure if you'd settled in alright. How are you feeling? Are you having any difficulty with the material?"

"Me? I'm perfectly fine," I shrugged. "I was more worried about you. Those kids are like a pack of piranhas."

Her dark, olive-toned cheeks flushed red. "I am able to handle myself just fine."

"Oh. Of course. I meant no disrespect," I offered. When she didn't reply right away, I asked, "Can I go now? My sister's waiting for me."

Lips pursed, she appeared ready to protest, before abruptly waving me off. "Yes. Have a good lunch break."

"Thank you. You too, Miss," I nodded, turning sharply on my heel and snatching my school bag on the way out. I could practically feel her persistent gaze on my back as I exited the classroom. _Man, that lady gives me the creeps._

 ** _That's probably because she's an Akuma._**

If I hadn't been gripping the rail as tightly as I had, I would have tumbled down the stairs. "She's a what now?!" I hissed under my breath as I regained my footing.

 ** _It's a Level 2. Probably planted by my brother to keep tabs on you._**

I felt sick. "Just how far does his obsession run?"

But Neah remained silent.

And I remained shaken. The absence of my Innocence weapon only further drove down the fact that I was defenseless. Neah was my only line of defense, but whether he'd be willing to come through or not was not something I had much confidence in. And whatever love or loyalty the Noah currently held for me would be easily broken the moment they saw through my veil of lies.

I was vulnerable. And _that_ was terrifying.

"Neah! What are you waiting for?!"

Startled out of my thoughts, I glanced up. I'd paused by the base of the staircase, and with the front, double doors thrown wide open, I was in full view of Road's inquisitive gaze. Without prompting, she raced down the hall and skidded to a stop by my side, eagerly grabbing me by the arm. "Come on! What do you want to do, Neah? It's your first day, so I'll let you choose!"

"Oh, um, hah," I laughed nervously, "I'm not as creative as you, Road. Mind if we have some lunch first? I'm starving!"

Road pursed her lips, and replied petulantly, "Fine, but eat quickly, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," I agreed, stumbling over the threshold of the doorway as she dragged me out into the courtyard. Shaking off her grip, I slowed down to a steady pace and settled on the rim of the grand fountain taking place at the center of the gated courtyard. "Here you go," I said, slipping out the little lunch cases one of the kitchen workers had handed me before we left. I wasn't sure why I'd been given Road's lunch as well, but I decided not to question it.

"Thanks, Neah!" Road chirped, settling down beside me.

It was while we were munching on our little sandwiches, that a trio of girls appearing around Road's age popped up before us.

"Road! Look! We did just as you said!" the ring-leader exclaimed, proudly presenting a fistful of hair, as if they'd chopped off someone's ponytail.

Much to their mortification though, Road didn't appear to be one bit pleased. Setting her lunch aside, she crossed her arms over her chest, expression twisting into a scowl. "Is that _Annalee's_ hair?" When the trio of girls nodded timidly, Road sneered, "I _said_ I wanted Holly's hair! How could you three be so stupid?"

Rather than growing angry, all three girls grew slump in their postures, eyes downcast. The girl most to the left mumbled, "We're sorry, Road. We must've misunderstood. But we can still get Holly's hair, if you'd like!"

Road's scowl eased into a pleased smile. "Don't worry girls. Annalee's hair isn't as good as _Holly's_ hair, but it's not a bad alternative. Good job. I'm sure you all remember what do next?" When the trio gave an affirmative nod, Road smiled. "Good." And then, with a pointed glare, she hissed, "Don't mess anything up this time."

"We won't!"

And just as fast as they'd appeared, they were quick to scurry off.

It took me a few seconds to shut my gaping mouth. "What was _that_?"

 ** _You could a learn a thing or two from Road,_** Neah piped up with a snort.

"Messing with humans is just so fun, don't you think?" Road giggled, picking her lunch back up. "You should join me!"

 ** _Do it,_** Neah demanded.

But the thought of manipulating children in the way she'd just demonstrated made me sick to my stomach. With a tight smile, I replied, "I think I'll pass. Wouldn't want to ruin whatever dynamic you've already got going on."

Road pouted, "I guess so…"

Before she could get any other strange ideas into her head, I packed away our lunch cases, and suggested, "Come on! Let's play a game before our break ends!"

"Finally!" Road exclaimed, eagerly jumping to her feet and dragging me in the direction of all the rowdy kids.

I felt slightly justified in my apprehension—after all, this was Road we were talking about. I was afraid she was going to start jabbing sharp candles into any kid that got in her way! But… shockingly enough, the rest of our break played out without a single kid getting hurt (with the exception of Jimmy, who accidentally tripped and skinned his knees without even noticing for himself).

My childhood thus far had been completely out of the norm as I faced trial after trial, and playing games like Blind Man's Bluff, Hopscotch, and Mother, May I was a little surreal. But admittedly, quite fun.

"Jimmy, you should go clean up before class starts," I suggested, watching as Road threw pebbles onto the chalk outlines.

My classmate turned to me, looking slightly bewildered with his wide eyes, fluffy white hair, and a lollipop sticking out the side of his mouth. "Why's 'at?" he mumbled around the candy.

"Because the blood on your knees is going to drip down and stain your socks," I explained, pointedly looking down at his knobby knees. They were a mess of peeling skin, bloody streak marks, and dirt.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, jerking out his lollipop. "Mum's gonna kill me!" he exclaimed, before scurrying off.

"Neah! It's your turn!" Road shouted.

And so it continued, until we were finally called back to class for an additional two hours. And it suddenly didn't feel as dull or boring.

"Neah? How do you think we should go about solving this problem?"

I had been observing Miss Winslow so closely, that being forced to take my eyes off of her in order to glance at the problem on the chalkboard was nerve-wracking. Mouth dry and fists clenched, I stiffly replied, "Change the fractions so they have common denominators."

Miss Winslow grinned brightly. "That is correct! Good job. See class, this is how…"

I tuned out the rest of the lecture, carefully observing every gesture and every glance. Lorena was sitting closest to the Akuma, and I'd have to be quick otherwise she'd be the first casualty.

"Hey, Neah? Can I borrow a pencil? Tavares took mine and shoved it down Rosalie's blouse," Jimmy whispered from the seat beside mine.

Without so much as a glance in his direction, I tossed my pencil his way.

"Ouch!"

I had seven classmates and there were only two exits available. The doorway and the large window set against the farthest wall. I had absolutely no means to protect any of them. My best bet would be to keep the Akuma's attention solely on me, which would hopefully give them enough time to evacuate. After that, I'd have to rely on my own physical capabilities in order to survive. Hopefully, Neah would assist me in gaining control of the Akuma, otherwise it might bring suspicion on my legitimacy as an acclaimed Noah.

The more I observed it, the more agitated it became.

"E-everyone, please try this problem out on your own." Shakily, Miss Winslow rapped the chalk against the blackboard, sketching out a simple problem.

The Akuma then turned towards my direction. I narrowed my eyes. The closer it grew, the more tense I became, fists clenched and teeth gritted, mentally preparing myself to spring into action at any moment.

"N-Neah," the Akuma stammered in a hushed whisper, "Is there something the matter?"

… So the Akuma feared me? That certainly made things simpler. Not that it made me feel any less worried.

Rewarding it with a pointed glare, I hissed, " _Why_ are you here?"

The Akuma paled dramatically. "I-I… Master, he—"

"Get out," I ordered, expression further twisting with distaste.

The demon was unable to choke out another word, before it silently fled. Fortunately, the exchange went unnoticed by the rest of my classmates, and it was only minutes later that the bell was rung and they were all too happy to stampede out.

"Hey, Neah! You coming?"

I jolted slightly and glanced up at Jimmy. "Oh, thanks," I muttered, accepting back my pencil and tucking it into my school satchel. I trudged after him and met up with Road out in the hall.

The first thing she did was obnoxiously poke my cheek. "Why are you looking so grumpy?!" she demanded.

"It's nothing," I muttered, "Come on, let's get out of here." I quickly pushed through the throng of jabbering children and she had no choice but to chase after me. It wasn't until we'd exited out into the courtyard and we were nearing the gates that I came to an abrupt halt. Road stumbled into me.

"Neah!" she whined.

"What is he doing here?" I muttered, brow furrowing.

"Who are you—Millenie!" she squealed and ducked around me, reaching Mana's side within no time.

I hesitated for only a moment, before making my way to their side. Fortunately, all throughout the carriage ride back to the mansion, Road chatted enthusiastically about her day, making up for my stony silence. It wasn't until we'd reached the front doors of our home, that Mana finally cut her off.

"Road, if you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with Neah."

Road beamed. "Okay!" As she skipped up the grand staircase, she called, "Come find me when you're done, Neah! I have a new game in mind, and it involves Uncle Tyki~!" She disappeared before I could offer a reply.

The silence she unknowingly left behind was stifling.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Mana pressed a hand against my shoulder and began guiding me in the direction of his office. "Are you hungry, Neah? I could have a late lunch brought up to my office."

Shaking off his hand, I bit out, "I'm fine."

"Ah, I see…" Mana trailed off, hand hovering near me, before he finally gave up and let it hang back at his side. I firmly remained silent throughout the walk, as we sat down on the leather couches once we reached his office, and even as I watched one of the maids come in to deliver a tray of tea and biscuits.

 _Here goes nothing…_

"Little brother, what is the matter?" Mana intoned almost delicately, when we were alone once more.

Taking my sweet time, I gazed at him with a cold expression and then turned away to reach over and scoop some sugar and milk into my tea. I stirred the tea for few seconds, before setting down the small, silver spoon once I became uninterested.

"I fail to understand why you planted that Akuma in my classroom," I finally stated with a cool voice. "She was a nuisance."

"I am sorry, Neah. I didn't realize it. I'll be sure to find a much better replacement—"

"No," I snapped, setting my teacup down with a clatter and causing the tea to spill over. "I don't see why you need to keep tabs on me at all. I'm not hiding anything, but ever since I came here, all you do is lurk around and keep track of everything I do. You said so yourself that we're brothers. Don't you trust me?"

"Neah…" Mana seemed to choke up for moment, voice a bit hoarse as he whispered, "I care about you. I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright. It's for your own good."

"If you really cared about me, you would've asked me first," I retorted as I stood back up. With every word, he seemed to shrink into himself. "Care for me all you want. It doesn't mean much if you can't even trust me to leave the house for a few hours."

I didn't give him a chance to reply. Instead, I stalked out, slamming the door behind me.

 ** _How dramatic,_** Neah drawled.

 _But it serves our purposes,_ I offered him a mental shrug.

 ** _Yes. Now, if you could do me a favor and not seek out Road? I need a break._**

 _Well that only leaves us with two options,_ I contemplated as I aimlessly wondered around the halls, _It's either Tricia or Tyki. I'd prefer Tricia, but I think she's still recovering from her fever, so I guess Tyki it is._

And with that decision made, I confidently turned towards the direction of his room, fingers crossed that he'd be in there.

Without so much as a knock, I barged in, fully expecting to find that Sheryl had loaded him with more paperwork. And sure enough, there was that usual load of papers and old tomes stacked along his desk and coffee table, but Tyki himself was nowhere near them. Venturing further into the room, I finally had the luck of spotting him out on the balcony, leaning casually against the railing with a cigarette in hand.

"You know that's not good for you," I piped up, joining him out on the balcony.

"Hm?" he glanced down, only just taking note my presence. "And? I have no doubt Sheryl's paperwork will be the death of me. At least let me enjoy myself while I can, boy."

"You can enjoy yourself in ways that don't damage your lungs," I offered with a shrug. Not that I cared too much about his smoking habit. The guy was destined to become a Noah. Lung cancer would be the least of his worries.

"Oh yeah? What do you suggest, boy?" Tyki asked dully, taking another drag.

Truly, I didn't know Tyki all that well, but what little I knew in advance might actually help me for once. "How about a good old game of Poker?" I suggested with a cheeky grin, pulling out the second deck of cards that I'd nicked from him. After I'd left the first set of cards behind with Mana, I don't know what had happened to them, and I'd been forced to take away Tyki's new set.

"Boy. Are those my cards?" Tyki demanded, dumping the remains of his cigarette onto the balcony floor and putting it out with the heel of his shoe.

"Maybe," I chuckled nervously. Inwardly though, I was excited. I hadn't played Poker in ages, and with my new prosthetic arm, I hadn't been confident in how well I'd regain my cheating skills. But I'd been practicing hard for the past week and it was now or never. "But look on the bright side! I've practiced, and now you have yourself a formidable opponent!"

When Tyki could only offer me a deadpan look, I begged, "Please? At least one game?"

Tyki eyed me doubtfully and demanded, "And what exactly do you have to offer?"

"Admittedly, there's not much to my name. But I doubt there's anything _you_ could offer me that _I'd_ be interested in, so it'll be a lose-lose in that area of the game. But hey! Don't knock it till you try it!" I grinned.

Tyki sighed, rubbing his forehead as if trying to abate a head. "I have a feeling I'm going to regret this, but—"

"Thanks so much, Uncle Tyki!" I exclaimed before he even finished, reaching up to hug him really quick. "I'll be right back! I need to get some of my stuff!"

Or, it would be more accurate to say, some of Road's stuff. The Noah girl had absolutely no care in the world, and littered my room with some of her random junk as if it were her own. Once I reached my room located further down the hall, I raced in, grabbed a few choice items, and dashed back to Tyki's room. Shutting the door behind me, I skipped over to find that he was clearing away the mess on his coffee table.

"What is _that_?" he asked, eyeing the assorted items in my arms as he picked up a neat stack of papers and lugged it over onto his desk.

"My betting items," I answered, plopping down onto the plush carpet and setting the objects along the edge of the small table and naming them off one by one, "A half-eaten box of crackers—"

"Boy. I don't at all see how—"

"—a miniature portrait of the queen—"

"—or why I would care for any of these items—"

"And last but not least, the voodoo doll Road created of you!"

Tyki abruptly paled.

It took a few seconds, but he finally stammered out, "H-how did you get that?"

"Road seems to think that my bedroom is her bedroom part two, so getting ahold of her belongings isn't difficult," I grinned. "So, I guess I _do_ have something you want. What have you got to offer, Uncle Tyki?"

"I'll buy it off you," Tyki immediately offered, digging out his wallet.

"See, it doesn't work like that," I shook my head, trying to hold back a laugh. "You want it? You'll have to beat me at Poker for it."

Tyki became irritated, and for a moment I thought at he was about to protest, but instead he bit out, "Fine. Have it your way." Grabbing a few bills from his wallet, he dumped it in the middle of the coffee table.

"Glad to have your cooperation, Uncle," I cheered, setting the half-eaten box of crackers among his money.

"I don't want your stupid crackers, boy," Tyki protested.

"Sorry~. If you want the doll, you'll have to work your way through my other betting items," I grinned cheekily.

Tyki huffed, "Fine. This shouldn't take me too long."

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of underestimating Tyki's Poker abilities, and within ten minutes, Tyki had won the first round.

I stared, crestfallen, as he dug around the box and pulled out a cracker. Before I could warn him, he actually ate one and then gagged. "They're stale," Tyki grumbled.

"Oh. Yeah. They were also stale a week ago, when Road left them on my nightstand," I shrugged, strategizing my next move and placing the miniature portrait of the queen (why did Road own such strange items?) next to the money Tyki hadn't bothered to touch. "Don't get too comfortable, Uncle Tyki. You're not going to beat me this time," I said confidently.

And this time, I followed through.

By the time Road barged in and found us, Tyki was getting ready to cry, I was counting my newly acquired stack of money, and I was still the current possessor of the Tyki voodoo doll.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hopefully everything is in line with the other chapters. I've been writing this chapter on and off for the past two months, so I'm sorry if it's a little choppy. Doesn't help that I'm writing this in between classes, so it might not be my best work.

And yeah, I know I've been completely MIA for the past six months. Thank you to everyone who PMed me, wanting to make sure I was still alive. Surprise! I'm not dead. Thing is, I started college this past fall, and my major is Computer Systems Engineering, and so I'm drowning beneath all the physics, calculus, and computer science classes. The workload is ridiculous, and I can't guarantee how dedicated I'll be to my stories. Not even in the summer, since I'll probably be doing another three classes then.

Once again, sorry if there's any issues with the chapter. Let me know what you think in a review!

P.S. I did some fanart stuff on my Deviantart account back in like October I think. It sucks, but I'm too lazy to take it down. There should be a link on my profile.


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